A New Soul Reaper Has Arrived
by BFreak
Summary: Ichisan Kurosaki has been able to see ghosts ever since she was little, just like her father, Ichigo. Now her father thinks he's getting too old to be a Soul Reaper and gives his powers to his daughter, and gets into trouble. What'll happen to him?
1. The Beginning

Prologue

Ever since I was a little kid, I was able to see ghosts. At first I thought I was going nuts because none of my friends saw them. When I told my dad - Ichigo Kurosaki - he told me I wasn't going nuts or insane. Instead, all the told me was that I got my talents to see ghosts from him. Of course, I was only 4 years old then, but my dad has been giving me his sword - zanpaku-to, as he calls it - to practice my sword fight when Mr. Hats-And-Clogs came over. Fairly so often, I would go over to Tatsuki's house. Of course, Tasuki was my dad's friend and was so nice to me that she even gave me free martial arts lessons for ten years straight in private. For ten years, I have been training with Zangetsu - my dad's zanpaku-to - and Tatsuki. Thanks to all the training, not only did I master the martial arts, but I mastered one of the two moves of the zanpaku-to called bankai.

Chapter 1

High school. The moment I entered that building, everyone stepped back to make a huge room for me to walk past them, even the higher grade-leveled students. I may only have been in the first year in high school, but everyone feared me. No one ever told me what it was that was scaring them, but I never bothered to ask.

I headed to may class and opened the door just as the bell rang. A male teacher who looked tough yelled, "What's your name, young lady, and what's your excuse for walking into classroom room when the bell rings?" When the entire class gasped, the teacher asked them sheepshily, "What?"

One of the male students responded quickly, "That's the one and only Ichisan! Ichisan Kurosaki! She's the toughest student around the town!"

"And as the rumor goes, a woman named Tatsuki has been giving her private martial arts class lessons for free! Ten years straight! Tatsuki was the toughest person around the town, until Ichisan beat her!" another student cried out, but this time, it was a girl.

"Kurosaki? I haven't heard that name in a long time!" the teacher said. He turned to me and snared, "I bet you ain't as tough as your father Ichigo Kurosaki!"

I punched him across the face and he skidded to the back of the classroom on his side. I called, "If I can punch you and knock you off your feet that easily, I bet you that I _am_ stronger than my father!"

As I took a seat, the teacher slammed his hand on my desk and snapped, "Martial arts contest after school. You against me!"

"That won't be happening at all," Tatuki's voice said. When we all looked over, Tatsuki was standing by the door. But her hair color was not black this time. It was light brown, instead. She told my teacher, "You have been fired by the pricinpal of this school."

Outraged, he cried out, "But who will take over my class?"

My father appeared at the door as he said, "I don't know why, but he wants me to take over when he knows that my daughter's in this very class." His beeper that looked like a cellphone started to beep violently. His eyes got bigger when he checked it. As he took out a candy, he said, "Ichisan, come here! It's time for you to put your skills to test! I'm getting to old to fight these things! Hurry! We don't have much time before one arrives to attack these students!"

My dad ate the candy and his soul came appart from his body. Kon - the soul that was in the candy that took over my dad's body - jumped on me as he cried out, "Ichisan! Your dad was trying to kill me!"

I grabbed the arms and kicked him in the chin as I said, "And I see why, Kon. Only if you were as smart as all the boys in my class were. That would make my life so much easier, you know that?" I turned to Tatsuki and asked her, "Can you hold him down? I need to turn into a Soul Reaper and that won't happen with him keep pouncing on me while my dad does that."

Tatsuki nodded and grabbed Kon while I got in front of my dad. He asked me in uncertain way, "Are you ready, Ichisan?"

"I didn't train to fight hollows for nothing, dad. Bring it on," I said as I nodded.

He cried out, "I'm sorry, Zangetsu, but I'll have to pass my powers and Soul Repaer part onto my own daughter!"

With just that, he stabbed me in the chest and the last thing I heard was Tatsuki crying out, "Ichigo! What the bloody hell are you thinking?"

Almost as though there was an explosion, I felt myself falling away from my body and landed on my back. When the smoke cleared, I saw the candy that my dad ate roll by my hand and my dad was getting up. He looked directly at me and asked, "Ichisan, get up! Quick! A hollow will be here any second now!"

I quickly got up and took out the zanpaku-to. When I took out it, I realized that it was three times longer and three times bigger in length than its original size when it belonged to my dad. Next thing I knew, there was a huge explosion sound by the windows and a huge hole appeared. When the smoke cleared up once more, a hollow appeared and this one looked like a huge white spider with a hole in its chest. One thing that all hollows had in common, I realized, was the hole in the chest and the mask, but the mask styles were different.


	2. Like Father, Like Daughter

Chapter 2

My dad yelled, "Aim for the head, Ichisan! That's its most vulnerable part!" I charged straight for the mouth, but raised the swrod on the last sacond and brought it down as I slashed it right down in the middle of its head. Soon, the hollow was gone and I used all my stregnth by blocking the strong wind when the hollow blew up just before it was completely gone by vanishing into the thing air.

I walked over to my dad and asked him, "How did Zangetsu get three times bigger?"

As my dad took out some sort of pen, he told me, "I'll explain when we're at home. For now, focus on school." He clicked it while everyone in my class was looking. Everyone in the room fainted, but the only ones that haven't been affected by it was my dad, Tatsuki and me.

"What the heck did you do, Ichigo?" Tatsuki yelled.

"I could just as easily erase your memory and replace it with random one, Tatsuki," my dad told her in a sheepish way.

A farmiliar voice asked, "What the heck happened here?" When we turned around, we saw Rukia, another one of my dad's closest friends. All I knew about her was that she was the one who turned my dad into a Soul Reaper.

Before anyone went on saying anything, I cried out, "Wait!" When I had the attention, I told them, "No one told _still_ one how to put the Zangetsu away."

My dad glanced over at me and told me, "I can't believe I did that, but that sword no longer contains the soul named Zangetsu. I feel his presence gone and a new one has replaced it. That zanpaku-to is now belongs to you. Just put the blade against your back. It'll put itself away almost instantly. But when you put your zanpaku-to away, make sure you get back into your body. Your class will be awake soon." He turned to Rukia and handed over the pen that he used to erase my classmates' memories. When Rukia gave him a questioning look, he told her, "Give that to the Soul Society. Tell them that I, Ichigo Kurosaki, is no longer the captain of the 12th Company. I turned back into a normal human being. Also, tell Kenny that I will probably soon see him again. Oh, and if you're here because of a hollow, you're too little too late, Rukia."

"What do you mean?" she blurted out, rather angrily. When my dad refused to tell, she yelled, "Stop trying to be stubborn like the olden times, Kurosaki! You know how much I hate that! You've known me for years!"

I snapped at her, "I, _Ichisan_ Kurosaki, have already got rid of it! That's why!"

Rukia took out her own zanpaku-to and pointed it right at my throat. and spat, "I could tell that Ichigo's powers as a Soul Reaper is gone! How dare you steal his powers?"

I did as my dad told me to do to put away my zanpaku-to before I kicked her in the face hard. When she landed on her back, I snapped, "And how dare _you_ accuse me when he gave his powers to me?"

Rukia got back up on her feet and yelled at my dad, "You gave her your powers?"

"She's my kid," my dad responded. "I can't go around getting rid of hollows and leave my daughter unprotected. She's had enough training. Now, she needs to learn how to fight with her own zanpaku-to. When she does that, she'll have finally mastered bankai." As he headed out the door, he said to Tatsuki, "We better get going before these kids wake up, Tatsuki. You have classes of your own."

"Dad, how about my class? You said that my teacher got fired by the principal himself," I reminded him.

My dad stopped for a moment and thought. He turned to me and said, "Just pretend you don't know anything about your teacher being fired. Just tell him that it was all a dream. Do that one thing for me, Ichisan." With just that, he walked out of the room.

Just before Rukia left, she told me without even facing me, "I'll keep my eyes on you. Without Ichigo keeping that pager of his around, he won't be able to tell you when there's a hollow around in order for you to save someone in time."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her with suspicion.

Her head snapped in my direction and responded, "What I mean is that I'll help you by warning you when there's a hollow near by. They'll be coming to this town more often because of your spiritual energy. Higher the spiritual energy, the bigger the zanpaku-to. That's also bad in a sense, because the holows are drawn to high spiritual energies. In order to do this, we'll have to keep a secret from Ichigo. Understood?" When I nodded, she turned into a black butterfly and was gone. I sat at my desk and all I did was read comics until the entire class woke up.


	3. One Of The Truths Revealed

Chapter 3

After school, I was heading back home when I was happening to pass by an alley that no one barely came by. I heard a male voice sneer down the dark alley as I passed by, "What is this around your neck? It looks like it's a coin from foreign country! It must be real important to you to keep it around your neck all the time!"

I heard something snap and I heard a farmiliar male's voice cry out, "No! That's from my abuelo! That's the last thing I have that he gave to me! Please give it back!"

I snuck around in the shadows in order to be not noticed and when I was close enough, I saw that it was my godfather, Chad. He had black hair and he was a mexican, which was obvious to tell. Not only that, he even looked as though he worked out when he didn't because he was huge and looked macho. Everyone knew that deep inside, he was a softy and wouldn't dare to hurt anyone unless it was necessary.

The guy that was standing right over Chad, who was all tied up to a chair, and he sneered down at Chad as he spat, "If it's that important to you, I'll take it!" He turned to his gang and ordered, "Beat him up, boys!"

I jumped out of the shadows and jumped over Chad by grabbing his shoulders to throw myself up in the sky and kicked all of them in the face. I landed in front of Chad and sneered at the leader, "Give him back his Mexican coin! Or else!"

The leader started to laugh as he asked, "Or else what?"

"Then you have made the worst mistake of your life by trying to pick a fight with his goddaughter, Ichisan Kurosaki!" I yelled. I kicked him in the chin and went right into punching him in the stomach hard. When he fell on the ground as he grabbed his stomach, I called the hospital. When they picked up, I told them, "I'll need an ambulance, because by the time you get here, there'll be some injuries that will need to be taken care of."

"You're taking care of your godfather first? You're such a loser!" the guy that I kicked first cried out and the entire gang burst into laughter.

I continued on saying, "There'll be..." I started to count by pointing to each and everyone of them and when I was done, I said, "For seven people that are male. Only because their soft tissues will be ruined pretty badly." I hung up and started to fight all of them at once. It took about five minutes for me to beat all of them up and knock them out cold. When I was done, I untied Chad and asked him, "You okay?"

He nodded as he asked, "Why did you do that?"

"The question is," I responded, "why did you let those punks push you around like that?" I tied the coin back around his neck and started to head for the city side, which was the are that my dad and I lived.

Chad told me with slight smile, "You know me well enough. I don't want to hurt anyone. My abuelo always told me to use my stregnth for protecting people, not hurting them."

I checked the time and realized that I was late for my martial arts lesson. Running, I called, "See you later! I'm late for martial arts lesson already!"

When I got to Tatsuki's place, she snapped, "You're late! Today is fourth day in a row, Ichisan! Does your father know about this?"

"I always stay a little later when I'm late! Who cares?" I asked carelessly. I put my bag down as I told her, "Let's get started with the training, though. Don't want to waste any more time today, if you know what I'm saying."

Tatsuki nodded and got ready to fight me. As we started the fight, Tatsuki asked, "What's the real reason you were late today?"

"Some punks were making trouble," I told her. When she was about to ask who it was that was being pushed around, I quickly siad, "Let's just say a close friend of mine."

When I was done with the training, I was sweating with no end. I jogged all the way home to get even more sweat out of my system. As I walked into the house, I saw Rukia hugging my dad. She said, "Why do you have to be the same as the olden times? Always stubborn?"

My dad started to grab her hand as he said, "I'm not being stubborn because I want to be. That's how I always have been and always will be, Rukia."

"Then you have forgotten completely about me, haven't you? You've moved on, haven't you?" Rukia asked. "You forgot that I'm Ichisan's biological mother."

I dropped my bag in shock and my dad pushed himself away from Rukia as he cried out, "Ichisan! Wait! I can explain!"

I yelled at him at top of my lungs, "I can't believe you never told me about this! You told me mom was dead! You told me she got killed by a hollow several weeks after I was born, dad!" Before I even gave my dad a chance to explain himself, I ran out of the house. I continued to run as the pressures started to mount on my shoulders. I don't know how, but I some how ended up at Chad's place.

When he saw me, he came running out and quickly took a hold of me. He asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

The last thing I remembered saying before I passed out was, "She's alive. My mom's still alive and my dad lied about it." After that, everything around me was black.


	4. Two Choices : Save Or Execute A Life

Chapter 4

When I woke up, I found myself lying down in a bed. The entire room was dark and so was outside, so my best guess was that it was late at night. The last thing I remembered was passing out after telling Chad that my mom was still alive. The only problem with that was that I couldn't remember if I told him that it was Rukia. I wasn't even sure if he saw the hollows and Soul Reapers like I did.

That's when it hit me. Mom. All this time, all my dad ever told me was that I looked just like her, all except the hair color. He said she had died, but he never showed me a picture of her. Frustrated, I got myself out of the bed, but I collapsed when I tried to stand on my feet. The door opened and someone walked in, but I didn't have enough energy to look to see who it was. All I could have told was that the person was holding a tray of food. The person put the tray down near by and a farmiliar male's voice told me, "I'm not surprised you collapsed on your knees. You've been out cold since yesturday evening." When he helped me sit back in the bed, his hand went straight to my forehead. As he got up to get the tray, he told me, "At least your fever went down." He turned on the light just before he brought the tray. That's when I saw that it was Chad.

As Chad handed me the food, I weakly asked, "What time is it?"

"Eight at night," he responded. "Oh, and Ichigo stopped by today around noon."

I swallowed down the rice in my mouth before I squeaked, "You didn't tell him that I passed out, did you?"

He shook his head as he told me, "Your spiritual energy was very low when you passed out. Even I could barely sense it when I was outside talking to him. I only came in with your food when your spiritual energy shot up. I wouldn't expect him to have sensed it either, although great Soul Reapers trained themselves to sense the spiritual energy of other Soul Reapers."

My eyes grew wide as I asked him, "Do you mean you could see Rukia as well when she's just a Soul Reaper form?"

Nodding, he told me, "The first time I met her was when she was in her Gigai form, pretending to be a student in my class. As the rumors went back then was that Ichigo and Rukia were going out with each other. I highly doubted for several weeks, but lost interest in that topic when I found out his big surprise of being a Soul Reaper." Smiling, he told me, "For now, just eat your dinner, Ichigo's kid. I'll tell you the entire story later on."

I put my chopsticks down as I asked him, "This is your room, isn't it?" When he nodded, I asked, "Have I been a trouble, Chad? If I was, I'll just go back home."

"That wouldn't be necessary. You could stay until you calm down," he told me. With just that, he walked out of the room.

I just sat there, finishing my dinner as I thought about all the things that had happened. When thirty minutes had passed, I was almost done eating my dinner, but I heard a rustle right behind me, which was just outside the window. When I turned around, I saw Rukia putting a glove on as she said, "Good thing Ichigo didn't teach you how to keep your spiritual energy under control. Makes it eaier for me to find you."

I fogot about the pates that were on my lap as I shot up onto my feet. Just as the plates shattered, I cursed under my breath, but I ran for the door carelessly. When I opened the door, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs was blocking the entrance. He told me with a frown, "Sorry, kid, but this has to be done." He took out his walking stick and he me in the stomach as hard as he could.

When I got out of my body into a Soul Reaper form, I asked with a panic, "What do you want from me? I didn't do anything!"

We heard some kind of an explosion in the kitchen and we were soon covered in smoke. When the smoke cleared, Chad was standing right behind Mr. Hats-And-Clogs, but there was something different about him. His left arm was covered in some sort of black shield that had red streaks on it. "What do you want with Ichigo's kid, Rukia? And as for you, sir, I haven't seen you in years. How many years has it been? Both of you."

"Too long, Chad," Rukia responded.

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs quickly added, "And you have gotten much stronger than the last time we met, I see. But that's not the reason Miss Kuchiki and I are here about. It's about Ichigo Kurosaki that we're here to talk about."

Rukia's head snapped in my direction as she told me, "Your father has been taken to Soul Society by force. if we don't get you in shape, as well as trained and to where he is in exactly 30 days, my step-brother will kill your father during your father's execution. He stopped by here earlier today when he sensed your low spiritual energy but had to pretend he didn't know you were here when Chad told your father he didn't see you at all."

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs asked, "So, Miss Kurosaki? Are you with us?"


	5. One Step Foward To Saving A Life

Chapter 5

I was still taking in the shock when Mr. Hats-And-Clogs asked me that question. I asked slowly, "My dad's locked up in Soul Society?" When Rukia nodded, I cried out, "For what? For what is he going to be executed for?"

"The same reason that I was about to executed for when your father was your age. For allowing the power to be quote-on-quote stolen," she responded. "I'm only alive because your father felt that he didn't repay me for when I gave him my powers to protect his family."

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs interrupted by saying, "Let's just focus on how we're going to save him if Miss Kurosaki is coming with us, shall we not?"

While Rukia was thinking, I cried out, "Fine! I'll come! He's my dad and he looked after me for years, so why wouldn't I help him?"

Without warning, Rukia blurted out, "Chad! Do you have that girl's phone number? The girl who has those little fairy things to help her fight!"

Chad's eyes opened wide as he responded, "I'll call Orihime! She was telling me how she much she wanted to see Ichigo again, any way!"

As he bolted out the door, Rukia turned to Mr. Hats-And-Clogs as she told him, "When Orihime arrives, take her, Chad and Ichisan back to your place. I'll meet up with you guys there."

Just when she was about to jump out the window, I asked, "And where are _you_ going?"

"I'm getting someone who's of very rare species called Quincy. I'll be at the geezer's place by the time your father's friend arrives," she quickly responded and jumped into the darkness.

It wasn't long before Chad came back. Looking around, he asked, "Where's Rukia?"

"She went to get a Quincy," I told him, not sure of what she had meant by that.

"Oh, great! Uryu Ishida is coming and all he and Ichigo will do is fight again!" Chad cried out. He quickly shook his head as he said, "Orihime says she'll be here in at least 30 minutes, but might take her less than that." Ten minutes later, Chad's eyes opened and shuffled onto his feat as he ordered me and Mr. Hats-And-Clogs, "Move to either side of me! Quick! She's coming!" His shield on his arm disappeared as Mr. Hats-And-Clogs and I did as we were told. About a minute later, there was a blur of a person with yellow-orange hair.

When a woman crashed into Chad, he fell back pretty hard and there was a loud thud as he landed on the ground. As she got up, she told Chad with a huge smile, "Sorry about that, Chad! I meant to come through the door, but there seems to me new powers forming in me!"

A male voice snapped, "You foolish woman! Why do you continue to throw like a girl after all the training you've had?"

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs and I cried out in unison, "Because she _is_ a girl in a way!"

When the woman turned to face me, I saw that there was a small male fairy in ninja clothes on her shoulder. I asked her, "Um, just out of curiosity, who's that fairy looking dude of yours? I've seen Soul Reapers and hollows, but never did I see anything like that."

The same male voice came from the fairy when he cried out, "You're _another_ foolish woman from what _I_ can see!"

I sneered, "If it was Ichigo who set you free, you should be thanking me so I could deliver it to my dad once we get him out of the Soul Society before he gets his execution!"

The woman quickly said, "My name's Orihime. What's going to happen to Ichigo? Maybe I didn't hear it right, but did you say that he's going to get an execution?"

I nodded as Mr. Hats-And-Clogs quickly said, "First thing's first. We need to get to my place. Uryu Ishida will meet with us there as well as Rukia Kuchiki. I hope you remember them, Orihime, because you'll have to fight along their side as well. Of course, before we get inside the Soul Society, we'll have to train Ichisan and get her to know her zanpaku-to's name. According to Ichigo, he's taught her everything he knows, but not with her own, apparantly."

Chad told us, "We'd better hurry, then. We're running out of time if we have to train Ichigo's kid. After all, we only have 30 days, for all we know."

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs nodded as he asked, "Chad, which is the fastest way to my place?"

"Straight foward once we're outside my door," Chad responded. "The only problem that we have about that are the buildings."

Orihime looked awfully too cheerful as she said, "I can use my new powers, then! Ever since yesturday - or was it two days ago? - I gained some extra powers! Ability to fly at high speed and transportation! I have the feeling I gained more than those abilities, but that's not the point! I can get us there right away!" She started to concentrate for awhile before she yelled, "_I REJECT!_" There was a portal of some sort and Orihime hurriedly told us, "Quick! My powers of my new moves aren't as strong as my attack, healing and blocking! I can't hold it open for long time!"

I was the first to run in, quickly followed by Chad and Mr. Hats-And-Clogs. Once all three of us were out, Orihime came crashing onto the ground and rolled right by my feet. Just as I looked up to look at what kind of place Mr. Hats-And-Clogs lived in, there was a student with glasses pointing some sort of arrow right at my face. I noticed that he was using an archery bow when he snared, "How much I hate it when you don't even realize that I exist, Ichisan Kurosaki! Do you know whatelse I hate? Your guts!"


	6. To Give Up Or Continue

Chapter 6

Another male's voice snapped from behind him, "What did I tell you about attacking people when they arrive, Atrian?" The man with black and glasses stepped out into the light. I noticed that he had some kind of weird clothes on with a short cape. He looked down at me as he said, "I'm sorry about my son. I'm Uryu Ishida."

I shrugged as I said, "I don't know who he is, any way. Don't really matter."

The boy who was about my age stepped out into the light next to the man named Uryu as he yelled, "What do you _mean_ you don't know me? I'm in your class!"

"Atrian! We're here to fight together in Soul Society with them! We're merely their helpers in this fight! I also won't allow Ichigo Kurosaki to get killed! You know why? Because he's _my_ enemy! And if it wasn't for him, the research section wouldn't have been canceled in the Soul Society and Kurosaki put so much work into it! Understood?" Uryu yelled.

When Atrian started to look down, I snapped, "You're more pathetic than I thought!"

As Atrian started to tackle me, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs moved at fast speed and took hold of him. He nodded to the building next to us as he said, "Let's go in. Ichisan, you need to get trained in order to save your father. There are so many things that you need to learn before we go into Soul Society. We all can agree about that."

"I already _know_ how to use bankai! What more practice do I need?" I cried out.

"You first need to get to know your zanpaku-to. Every zanpaku-to has a name, remember?" Mr. Hats-And-Clogs responded.

Sighing, I asked, "Is it really necessary?"

"If you want to defeat all the captains to get to your father with no problem, then yes! It's necessary!" Uryu yelled. "I wouldn't be surprised if Kenny wanted to fight you as well! He's the strongest vice-captain there and was the first to become a captain without knowing how to use bankai!"

"Vice-captain? I thought he was one of the thirteen captains still!" Orihime quickly said.

I told her, "That doesn't matter. What matters now is my training. If you want to save my dad as well, miss, you'd have to train as well. You said so yourself that your new developed powers were weak." I turned to Chad as I told him, "I wouldn't surprised if you have formed new powers as well, Chad."

As I started to walk into the building, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs said, "She's right, you know. So much like Ichigo. Did you notice?"

Just inside the entrance of the building, there was a boy was with short spiky hair was fighting with a girl with bangs. As he kicked the girl in the face, he yelled, "Why don't you give me a better fight, for crying out loud?!"

I kicked the boy at the back of his head as I yelled, "Why don't you stop picking on the girl, for crying out loud?!"

Rukia walked into the room as she told me, "Thanks for getting them quiet. I didn't know how I was supposed to stop them."

Without looking at her, I asked her, "How did my dad train to become a Soul Reaper?"

As everyone entered the room, Rukia responded, "You'll actually be trained by the same person who trained your father. I'm doing my own little training in order to save your father as well. After all, he went through so much trouble to save my life." As she nodded at Mr. Hats-And-Clogs, she said, "Have your fun, but make sure she doesn't turn into a hollow. If she does, I'll murder you! I swear to god!"

When she walked out, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs started to laugh as he said, "She's got one big temper!" He turned to Uryu and Atrian as he told Uryu, "I supposed you have to give the same training that you gave yourself years ago, right?"

Uryu nodded as he responded, "What other choice to I have? I once have reached the point where I had the most advanced Quincy powers. If I could do that, I believe that my son could." He was lost in his thoughts for quite some time before he asked, "So is it alright if Atrian and I went off on our own to train? I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because of the training."

Nodding, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs responded, "Of course. That's reasonable. I wouldn't want Ichisan to get hurt the most while she's training herself." When Uryu thanked him and left with Atrian, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs told me, "I'll show you the training room that your father used to become a part Soul Reaper and part human that he's stuck with for rest of his life."

When we entered a huge room under ground that was behind the counter, I saw that it was some kind of a cave, but barely. It had a lot of scratches and a lot of boulders, but this cave looked more like a bat cave. I asked him with a surprise, "What is this place?"

"A training place," he told me with a pleasant smile. "You'll have to train here for three days, possibly more."

I asked him with determination, "What do I have to do?"

He explained three trainings that I had to go through, which took nearly two hours. He ended with saying, "So, basically, you'd have to fight me and you'd have to figure out your zanpaku-to's name."

I asked with a yawn, "Is that all?"

"Oh, wait! I forgot one more thing! You also have to climb up a twenty feet deep pit with your hands tied behind your back! Of course, that's not the only challange. Your soul will be cut off from your body when you do it," Mr. Hats-At-Clogs told me. "When your soul actually gets cut off from your body, you will eventually become an hollow."

I yelled at him as frustration started to mount on my shoulder, "Are you crazy?"

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs took out my body as he told me, "I have your body with you. First, you'd have to get used to being out of your body without being a Soul Reaper. But, of course, only other choice if you don't want to become a hollow is to actually become a real Soul Reaper yourself."

I shook my head as I snapped, "No way am I going through that thraining!"

"You have no choice," Mr. Hats-And-Clogs told me. "Do you want to save your father or let him die just because he gave his powers over to you?"


	7. Training Begins

Chapter 7

As I fell on my knees with heavy heart and that question in mind, I heard someone walking into the room. Rukia's voice begged me softly, "Ichisan, please train. Think of Ichigo. Imagine what he's going through. I know you'll say no when I ask you to do this for me, so I'll just ask you to listen to your heart."

I looked up at her and Mr. Hats-And-Clogs responded for me, "Why are you still here? I thought you went off to train."

"I can't just leave my daughter to train by herself," Rukia responded as she smiled down at me. "She has higher spiritual energy than I do, so I want to help train her instead of trying to train myself. She has greater chance in saving Ichigo, any way." She walked over to me and helped me up. She told me, "Ichisan, I'm sorry I haven't come visited you and I know what your father told you about me being killed by a hollow was wrong, but work with me here. Do you love your father, Ichisan?"

I nodded as I quietly said, "Of course I love him. He's my dad and there's no one in this world who can replace him."

Smiling, she told me, "I know. That's why I love him as well. The first time he and I met, it was the day his family was about to get attacked by a hollow. Of course, he was as young as you were back then. When I saw how strong he was, even before he received his Soul Reaper powers, I was amazed. I never thought a human could break free from Soul Reaper powers. That's when I realized. Your father had more power than I had ever imagined. As the days went on with training your father when I lost all my Soul Reaper powers, all except the magic that was weak in me, I started to get something I never thought I would get. That was friends. In my entire life, the only friend I ever had was just another Soul Reaper named Renji. But of course, because of my foolishness during my three months in your father's world, not only did I have a great time making friends, but I also started to fall in love with your father. Only he didn't find out until after he saved me on the day of my execution." Taking a deep breath, she asked hopefully, "Ichigo, will you please save your father for me? I'm not asking only one our behalf. I'm speaking on the behalf of several Soul Reapers in the Soul Society. Some over there, like Kenny and Renji, they had never had fun until your father came along for the first time. Instead, they fought only because it was their duty. Since your father appeared, they had so much fun fight with him in fights. Please, Ichigo. Please."

I took a deep breath as I told Mr. Hats-And-Clogs with confidence, "Okay. Bring it on. If it's for my father and his friends, I'll do it. Mostly, I'm doing this for myself." I smiled over my shoulder to Rukia as I told her mostly, "And especially for you, _mom_." I heard a loud crash above us and I asked Mr. Hats-And-Clogs, "What was that?"

"Chad's new powers," he responded with amazement. "Chad finally discovered what his new additional powers are." Shrugging, he handed my body over to me as he said, "Get into your body. I'll have to get your actual soul out with chain attached between your soul and your body."

When I got into my body and was bumped out, I felt as though my chest was being tugged a little. When I looked down, I saw the reason why. I was connected to my body with a chain going through the chest. Suddenly, it became hard to breathe. Huffing and puffing, I asked, "What's going on, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs? Why is it so much harder to breathe?"

"That's what it feels like when your soul is attached to your body like that," Rukia told me.

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs nodded as he called, "Come in here, little ones! Bring her some protective gears!"

The little kids that were fighting came running in with protective gears and dropped helmet, gloves and pads. The girl told me rather shyly, "Put the protective gears on, please. We don't want you to get hurt, miss."

"What ever goes on here when fighting during the training, it's faster and harder!" the boy snapped. "If you get punched several times, you'd get knocked out real easy!"

Laughing, I snapped back, "Yeah, right!" When I got punched across the face, I actually flew back twenty feet. When my body landed on top of me, I yelled, "Could you be more careful? I don't want to become a hollow! I want to live as well, you twerp!"

I heard Rukia saying, "Just like Ichigo. I swear that she has her father's attitude!"

I put on my gears and held up my body under one arm as I cried out, "Bring it on, kids! Now I'm ready to fight for real!"

I tried to remember what the boy told me as the kids started to punch and kick me. The battle ground gave faster speed and more stregnth. Whenever the kids tried to attack, I just avoided them. The girl was the one who was attacking me the most, so when she tried to punch me in the eye, I quickly grabbed her wrist and flung her behind me and kicked the boy in the stomach as quick and as hard as I could at the same time. When the girl landed on her face, she was knocked out pretty badly and I heard the boy yell, "No one's allowed to do that to her except me! I'm not allowing anyone to beat her up like that!"

With just that, the boy came charging in the my stomach. I stopped him by putting my right foot up to about where his face would be by the time he reached me. When he came right in front of me, his face crashed into my foot. As I punched him in the stomach, I responded, "And I'm not like the other girls. I'm stronger than all of them."

When the boy got knocked out as well, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs clapped his hands as he cried out, "Bravo! You have done better than I thought! Better fighting skills than Ichigo, mind you!"

"With Tatsuki teaching me martial arts and being better than her at that, I try," I told him as I took off my gears. I asked, "What's next?"

Smiling, he responded, "Becoming a Soul Reaper yourself." He made a huge hole in middle of the training field just by clapping his hand. Before he did anything, he cut my chain and pushed me in.

When I tried to move my arms, I realized that they were tied behind my back tightly. I yelled up at him with anger, "Are you crazy? I'll become a hollow this way!"

"Get out in time, you will become a Soul Reaper," he responded. "Other wise, you _will_ become a hollow. Hurry and make sure that those mouths down there don't get in contact with your skin. It'll try to eat you alive. And you have three days to get out of this twenty feet deep pit, Ichisan. If you fail, we'll have no choice but to kill you. Let's see if you get as lucky as your father was when he was your age, Miss Kurosaki." That's when I started to realize that there were things biting me. When I looked down, there were some kind of worms with only mouth and no eyes starting to bite me and they were all aiming for my chain.


	8. All In The Family's Blood

Chapter 8

I looked up and yelled at Rukia, "You're actually going to let him do this?"

Rukia avoided eye contact with me as she said, "If this is exact same thing that Ichigo went through to become an official Soul Reaper, then yes. I have no choice but to let him do this to you as well, Ichisan. I'm sorry, dear."

I struggled to get those mouth worm things away from me. For quite some time, they came at me without a rest, but finally, they were all asleep. I tried to climb the pit by jumping and bouncing off of the sides, but when I was three-fourths way up, I fell back on the ground. I heard the boy's voice say, "Hey! She actually managed to get up higher than Ichigo Kurosaki! Not bad for a beginner!"

"She's not just a beginner," Mr. Hats-And-Clogs told the boy. "Her spiritual energy is slightly higher than mine. Mind you."

Rukia asked with boredom, "Then how come her zanpaku-to is bigger than yours, dumb-dumb? Have you ever asked yourself that?"

"I was weak when I started out with mine!" Mr. Hats-And-Clogs yelled, almost as though he lost temper. As I tried to find a way, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs called down to me, "Ichisan! You doing okay down there?"

I called back up to him, "Yeah! How long has it been since I was down here?"

"Nearly two days and a half! It's not long before you become a hollow!" he responded.

As I took in the shock, Rukia yelled, "Get her out! I don't want my daughter to become a hollow! You know very well that I don't want to kill her either!"

The boy came down with bowl of food and told me, "You'd better be very careful, now. If you get hungry, then that's the sign that you'll become a hollow."

The boy jumped and managed to get out of the pit. A man who was at least Chad's size came in and sat down behind me. I asked him carelessly, "Who are you?"

"I'm one of the helpers in the shop. If you become a hollow, I'll be the one to get rid of you," he simply responded.

I looked up and called, "Rukia? I mean, mom?"

Rukia called back down, "What is it, Ichisan?"

"Is there anything I should know about Soul Reapers?"

Rukia responded with a laughter, "Yes! I'm so glad you reminded me! Every Soul Reapers have red ribbons surrounding them! Very well trained Soul Reapers would be able to see it right away! If you meet the spirit of your zanpaku-to, remember that you want to look for the red ribbon to find your zanpaku-to from the boxes!" Soon, I felt my chest being ripped apart. When I looked down, I saw that my chain was eaten and a hole started to appear in my chest. The last thing I heard was from Rukia and she was screeching, "Ichisan! No!"

I tried to resist so hard and as everything went brilliantly while around me. Suddenly, I saw a figure of a woman in old shabby clothes and her voice was deep when she said, "You finally got rid of all your fears, Ichisan Kurosaki."

I asked her, "Who are you, exactly?"

"I am Takikanto. I am the spirit of your zanpaku-to," she responded. "Do you wish to save your father, Ichisan?"

Gasping, I cried out, "Yes! Please help me! I didn't come all this way in my training just to become a hollow, Takikanto!"

She disappeared and a whole bunch of boxes appeared in her place. I heard her voice say, "Then find me before time is up! Hurry! You don't have much time!"

The last thing I remembered Rukia telling me was, _"Every Soul reapers have red ribbons surrounding them! ... If you meet the spirit of your zanpaku-to, remember that you want to look for the red ribbon to find your zanpaku-to from the boxes!"_

I looked around and spotted a red ribbon right next to me on my right. I grabbed the ribbon and pulled in order to get the box open. When I did just that, the handle of my zanpaku-to showed. I heard Takikanto yell, "Grab me and pull me out, Ichisan! You still have a chance to become a Soul Reaper and escape your worst nightmare of being a hollow!"

When I pulled it out, I was back outside. The two kids were armed with guns and Rukia and Mr. Hats-And-Clogs had their zanpaku-to out. They were all ready to fight me for some reason. I heard Rukia asked, "Should we attack her? I mean, we don't even know if she's a hollow or a Soul Reaper!"

I took out my own zanpaku-to and stabbed myself in the face when I felt some kind of mask practically glued on. I yelled at her, "What are you thinking? Asking Hats-And-Clogs whether you should kill off your own daughter or not! I'm not letting Takikanto go without a fight against the Soul Reapers in Soul Society, you know!" I looked at the mask that fell by my feet and picked it up. As asked them while still looking at the hollow mask, "Was there a hollow around here that I didn't know about?"

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs and Rukia looked surprised as Mr. Hats-And-Clogs asked, "Did you say Takikanto?"

Nodding, I asked sheepishly, "Why?"

"That's the name of the legendary zanpaku-to! She has been with only certain Soul Reapers in the past, but only two or three at the tops," Mr. Hats-And-Clogs informed me.

Rukia's arms flung around me as she told me, "At least you're alive, Ichisan. At least you're not a hollow."

I looked up at Mr. Hats-And-Clogs as I asked, "What's my next challenge, Hats-And-Clogs? Taking your hat away from you?"

"Your father did enough damage when he was training himself, so no," he told me with a frown. He said, "Instead, you'll have to re-learn bankai, but you'll have to do that in the Soul Society with Youriochi. If she managed to teach your father in matter of three days, I'm pretty sure she'll be able to teach you in at least one or two days, considering your father had already taught you since you were only four years old."

As we went back up to the main ground, I asked, "Who's Youriochi?"

A black cat with male voice responded, "_I_ am Youriochi! I'll be more than happy to teach you how to use bankai the way I taught Ichigo Kurosaki!"


	9. Beginning Of The End

Chapter 9

I pointed at the cat as I asked with shock, "The cat can talk? He knows my dad?"

"He is _not_ a he," Rukia informed me. "He is actually a she."

The cat angrily snapped, "I'm also not an ordinary cat, you twerp! I'm a human as well! That's the reason I can talk!"

"And Youriochi won't be able to transform into her regular form. I won't allow her without any clothes around and when Chad and I are around, any way," Mr. Hats-And-Clogs quickly added. "It's just uncormfortable for the men."

Laughing at the thought of a cat training me because I have completely ignored what the cat said, I yelled, "I'm not letting the cat train me!"

"I've trained one of the most powerful Soul Reapers, you fool!" the cat named Youriochi yelled at me with a whole lot of frustration.

I asked her with boredom, "Who? Kenny?"

I have completely forgotten that she knew my father and forgotten how powerful he was. She responded, "As powerful as he may be, your guess is wrong. The Soul Reaper I trained personally when this guy was done was Ichigo Kurosaki. He turned out to be my greatest success as well! Weren't you paying attention earlier?"

"Not really good with that," I told her. I started to crack up with no reason as I added, "Then all that was for nothing, come to think of it! My dad, in other words, Ichigo Kurosaki will be executed in less than 30 days. If you want to save him, give me the same training you gave him! I promise you that I'll turn out to be a better success than he will ever be! Just train me and I'll get it down in little more than 24 hours!"

Youriochi called without warning, "Chad! Orihime!" When they showed up, Youriochi ordered, "We'll be leaving for Soul Society soon! In the mean time, Orihime, go find Uryu and his son!" As Orihime left, she turned to Mr. Hats-And-Clogs and demanded, "Make the gate to the other side! We'll be leaving when Orihime gets back with the two Ishidas!"

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs walked off with Rukia as he told her, "C'mon, Miss Kuchiki. Your step-brother is quite a powerful Soul Reaper, so he must have at least taught you how to make a gateway. Am I not right?"

Chad asked with concern, "What is it that you'd like me to do in the mean time?"

"Work a little longer with your powers," Youriochi responded. "I sent Orihime to look for the Ishidas because she needs to work on her flying and her speed with the help of her little fairies. You need to work on your armors yourself, after all." When Chad left, Youriochi asked me, "What makes you think it'll take you only a little bit over 24 hours, kid?"

I snapped, "One, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki's kid and if he managed to do it in three days, I can try to finish in little over one day. Two, I've been training how to use bankai with Zangetsu, my dad's zanpaku-to. Three, all I need to do now is get closer to Takikanto in order to actually use bankai. After all, it's all in the trust, right?"

"You'll be the best student that I'll have over Ichigo, child," Youriochi told me. "What's your name? You still haven't told me."

"I am Ichisan Kurosaki," I told her. "Daughter of Ichigo Kurosaki and -."

I was interrupted when Orihime arrived with Uryu and Atrian, but those two had landed on their faces. I held my laughter back as Orihime cried out, "Oh, wow! That's such a cool landing move! Did you get that from Ichigo, Uryu?"

Atrian and Uryu sat up as Atrian whispered to me, "Don't ever get a ride from her. I swear to god! She's got powerful moves, but she's real bad with landings!"

I called, "Chad! Orihime is back with the Ishidas!"

Rukia and Mr. Hats-And-Clogs came running in at the same time as Chad. Mr. Hats-And-Clogs pointed his hands at a certain spot and started to concentrate. It wasn't long before there was a gate of some sort that had blinding flash of light coming out. Mr. Hats-And-Clogs touched the side of the doorway as he told me, "Most of these guys know how long the door stays open, Ichisan. I suspect that Atrian has heard this from his father already, as well. What you need to know, Ichisan, is that this door could remain open four minutes at the tops. After that, you won't be able to come back out at all until the door is opened again from outside here or if a Soul Reaper opens the door from inside to get here. But if you don't get out in time, you'll be stuck in Soul Society forever. Everyone will follow you in as soon as you're ready. You don't have much time to choose whether you want to go or not."

When I saw that everyone had determined looks on their faces, I nodded as I told them, "Let's go."

Just before I stepped in, Uryu quickly told us, "But if we meet the Shibas and have to use the cannon ball, there's something you all need to know." When we turned to look at him, he told us, "If we ever get seperated like years ago when we entered with Ichigo, no matter what happens don't come after me and Atrian. He still hasn't reached his top level and you all could still be in danger when he's fighting."

"If that's all," I said, "let's go, already! I want to get my dad out of there before his execution day arrives!"

When we entered, Youriochi yelled almost immediately, "Run! You could get killed in this!" I didn't bother to stop and think as I started to run after Youriochi and the others.

It was only few minutes of running when we all heard Atrain's voice cry out with panic, "Dad! Help me! I think something's got me!"

Chad quickly ran back and grabbed Atrian, only to come back only few seconds later. He grabbed even Uryu as he said, "I'm not letting even you get dragged in like it almost happened last time we came with Ichigo, Uryu!"

While we were still running, Atrian asked as he gulped, "Um, guys? What's that coming right at us?"

Uryu yelled, "Run faster! It's the cleansing thing!"

As we all did as Uryu told us, Orihime yelled, "Why does bad things always happen to us? It's not our fault that we want to save a life!"

Rukia cried out, "Orihime! How powerful is your shield?"

"Are you crazy? It could eat her whole!" Youriochi snapped.

"It's worth trying, bud!" Rukia snapped back. At the very last second, just when we were about to be eaten by a huge cloud of dust, Orihime had used a shield.

Good thing about that was no one was hurt or missing. Bad thing was that everyone except Orihime got a bad landing. I asked her with annoyance, "Can you make the landing better next time? I don't like landing flat on my face."

We all got up and Atrian pointed towards a place as he said, "Hey! I see a town down that road!" When the dust started to clear up, we all started to see the town ourselves.

I started to run as I cried out, "All right! Maybe we could find my dad there some place!"

Rukia cried out, "Wait! There are guards there!" But the warning came to me too late, because the walls fell from the sky and a giant appeared. Rukia ran over and quickly demanded, "I'm one of the Soul Reapers by the name of Rukia Kuchiki! Let me through, for I have urgent message for Kenny!"

"No can do, puny Soul Reaper," the giant answered. "For I was told to guard the door by the thirteenth company!"

Rukia showed her badge inside her Soul Reaper uniform as she responded in a tough way, "I'm of eleventh company. The Soul Reaper I'm married to, Ichigo Kurosaki, is of twelveth company. That's as close as I could get to thirteenth, ain't it?" The giant hestitated for awhile and let her it. Just before she left us, she said, "I promise that I'll find a way to get you guys in here, safe and sound. I'll also make sure that no Soul Reapers dare to mess with you." She started to head into the Soul Society before she stopped. She said without turning, "Ichisan?"

"Yeah?" I responded.

"Promise me one thing," she quickly said. "This is very important, so listen carefully."

Nodding, I told her, "What is it, er, mom?"

She turned half way around and looked at me. She told me, "Promise me that you'll save Ichigo if you can."

As I smiled at her, I said, "Sure thing. If it's for dad, I'll give everything I got to get there."

Smiling, she told me, "Thank you so much, Ichisan." With just that, she went through the gates. But as she did, I saw that she had sad look in her eyes.

Youriochi snapped at me, "C'mon, Ichisan! We need to get you trained! But before we do, I need to take you all some place!"

"Is it the Shiba family's place?" Orihime asked rather excitedly.

Youriochi nodded as she responded, "Lucky for you, yes. I'm pretty sure Ganju will be happy to see you all, although I won't be surprised what his reaction will be when he finds out what happened to Ichigo." Youriochi led us all into middle of nowhere with just that one simple response. No matter what challenges awaited me, I was prepared for it.


	10. Preparations To Enter Soul Society

Chapter 10

When we arrived at a house of some sort, there was a huge sign floating above the house that read "House Of The Shiba Family". As we entered the gates of the house, Atrian cried out, "Who would live in a place like this?"

"Shiba family," Chad told him. "Only they change how they're going to put up the sign to show that they are the ones who live here."

Out of nowhere, I got kicked on the side of my face and I went off flying to my right, causing me to land hard and skid across the ground. Getting up, I yelled, "What's the big idea? I come here to save my dad and this is the treatment I get when I'm not even completely done getting my training on bankai with Takikanto?" When I turned to look who kicked me, there was a guy who looked a little younger than Chad. This guy had black hair and clothes from the past that could have been considered as gangster's clothes. I yelled at him as I pointed at him in the face, "What's the big idea, ugly?"

"Who are you calling ugly? Who are you, any way?" he yelled back.

"Ichisan Kurosaki! Daughter of Ichigo Kurosaki! That's who!" I yelled at top of my lungs.

As I lunged foward to fight him, Chad took a quick hold of me as he yelled, "Ichigo's kid! Calm down! Ganju is always like this! He even did this to your dad when your dad and I were your age! Calm down!"

That guy named Ganju started to smile as he asked, "Chad? Orihime? Uryu? That you guys? Never did I think I would ever see you three again!"

"Don't forget about me, idiot," Youriochi quickly said. When Ganju made a face, Youriochi quickly said, "We're here because on Ichigo's behalf. We need to save his life before his execution day arrives. We have less than 30 days. Around 25 days left, if I'm not mistaken."

Ganju's smiled turned into a frown in matter of seconds as he asked with shock, "What? Ichigo can't be executed! As much as I hate Soul Reapers, he's one of the weirdest Soul Reapers I've ever met that I became close friends with!"

I snapped, "Are we going to keep yammering or you guys going to train me to summon Takikanto easily so I could use bankai easily? I want to get my dad out of this mess as soon as possible, you know!"

Ganju suddenly looked confident as he said in demanding tone, "Let's go inside!" He yelled as loud as he could, "Shiroganehiko! Koganehiko! Get your behinds out here!" When two men in some sort of Indian clothes came out, Ganju ordered, "Take our guests to the room where Ichigo Kurosaki first trained to used the cannonball! I have one other thing to do before I go there!"

The one with the narrow chin and longer face cried, "Sir, yes, sir, Ganju sir, sir!"

I leaned to Uryu as I asked, "Who are these two jokers?"

He whispered back, "You do not want to know. Trust me."

The one with rounder face told us in loud voice as Ganju walked away, "Follow us, please! We'll first have to get you all ready to make cannonball!"

Uryu quickly responded as we followed the two guys in Indian clothes, "What's the big deal? We already learned it, so we need to re-train ourselves?" He glanced at Atrian and me as he added, "Except for my son and Ichigo's daughter. They never learned these before. As for the rest of us, we already been here, so we should have a clear memory of how to do this."

As we went underground, I started to think of upper floors, especially since the stairs at the entrance only led to downstairs. While passing by some of the rooms when we finally arrived the basement, I asked, "How do you get upstairs to second and third floor?"

When neither Shiroganehiko nor Koganehiko responded, Orihime told me, "It's no use asking them that. Last time we were here with Ichigo, they didn't even tell us."

"And how do you tell who's who?" I whispered back.

The only response I got was, "No clue. They're practically identical twins."

When we finally got to a room, Youriochi asked, "Shiroganehiko, do you know when Ganju will be joining us?"

"Hopefully, soon, ma'am!" the one with the round face responded. The way Shiroganehiko and Koganehiko responded when they were told to do something or asked something were just plain weird. It was almost as though they were soldiers instead of normal people.

Sure enough, Ganju came running in with a woman right behind him. She had black hair and had on clothes that showed maybe a little too much. She demanded, "Who's the kid of Ichigo Kurosaki here?"

When everyone pointed their fingers at me, I cried out, "Pointing your fingers at someone is rude, thank you very much!" I quickly muttered to myself, "And so is torturing people."

The woman quickly told me, "I am Ganju's older sister, Kukaku Shiba. So, what's that about Ichigo getting executed, child?"

"One, I'm not a child. My name is Ichisan Kurosaki. Two, my dad is getting executed in less than 30 days just because he gave me all his powers to protect my classmates when my class was attacked by a hollow in middle of the day," I informed her.

Uryu quickly added, "We need to use cannonball again to get in the Soul Society, Kukaku. Do you still have that sphere thing?"

Nodding, she responded, "I made one more. Ichisan and that boy could use the original. That will be better. As for the rest of you, you guys can practice on the new one. Will see if that one will actually work." When Chad, Orihime and Uryu managed to get it done and over with in matter of seconds, Kukaku told them as though she was impressed, "I'm surprised you three still remember to bring your spiritual energy foward in order to make cannonball. After all, it's been quite some time since you guys used it." As she turned to me and Atrian, she asked us, "Lets see if you two are able to do this in your first shot, kids."

Atrian smirked as he said, "This ought to be easy! My dad taught me everything I know, even learning to do cannonball!"

Kukaku asked, "Then what happens if you break your focus?"

"Everything goes boom," Atrian responded.

"Who does this kid belong to?" Kukaku asked as though she was impressed. When Uryu raised his hand slowly, Kukaku told him, "You taught your son well, but let's see if he's good enough to summon it."

Atrian managed to use the cannonball thing in one shot and when he was done, I snatched it away as I snapped, "Give me that! I didn't try yet! If my dad can do this as well, why wouldn't I be able to? This should be real simple!"

When I tried, nothing happened. For nearly an hour, I struggled and no matter what Shirognehiko and Koganehiko said, nothing helped, because all they yelled was, "No! It's more like this!" And they would make a certain sound, but never would tell me how it was supposed to be done. Around at evening, everyone but Ganju left and I was sweating like a pig.

After one more hour of trying to get it done, I asked him, "Why are you still here?"

"You know what?" he said. "I'll teach you a trick that I taught Ichigo. But careful. When I taught him, his was at least three-fourths of this room." When I glared at him, he said, "You a real Soul Reaper or just part Soul Reaper like your father?"

"Part," I told him. "I'm still a high school student in real life, you know."

"Okay, then. Imagine that there's a big black hole and you're jumping into it," Ganju told me as he closed his eyes. Next thing I knew, there was a cannonball surrounding him. He opened his eyes and added with a smile, "And with just that, you have your cannon ball, kid."

When I did just as he told me, I was surrounded by a huge sphere that filled up at least half of the room. I didn't notice much, but it looked as though the ground had shook and Ganju had a look on his face that had read that he was in a huge panic. It wasn't long before I heard Kukaku's voice yelling, "Kurosaki! What the bloody hell is going on? Keep your spiritual energy focused and centered! Now!" When I did, the cannonball was big enough for me and not for at least a hundred people, which was how it seemed when I first made it.

"Ichisan! You did it! You made the cannonball!" Orihime cried out.

Smiling and laughing, I cried out with excitement, "I did it! I can't believe it! I actually made a cannonball!" Soon, the ground shook violently and my cannon ball cracked with a loud booming sound that sounded as though a bomb going off.

Kukaku kicked me in the face as she snapped, "Did you not hear that boy saying that if you lose your focus, then everything is going to go boom?"

I responded, "Yes. Yes I did. And I also think you're trying to scare me at the same time."

As she stepped on my face, she told me, "First off, that's one of the last things you would want to say to me. Second off, why did you do what you were not supposed to do?"

Youriochi snapped, "That's asides the point! I need to train her to use bankai, which means we would need to get into the Soul Society as soon as possible! There's only one place I can train her safely!"

Ganju suddenly blurted out, "I'm coming along then!" When we all turned to him, he whispered, "Kukaku, remember that a Soul Reaper killed our brother? That Soul Reaper was Rukia Kuchiki. If Ichigo means a lot to her and if Rukia means a lot to him, then I really have no choice. Well, technically I do, but that's not the point." He cried out, "He even had my back last time he was here! He made me think in some ways like a Soul Reaper and he was one of my closest friends! You know me, sis! You know how much I hate the Soul Reapers! But this guy is different! He always has been! If I can't pay him back for not having his back now, I will never have my chance of repaying him!"

She nodded as she told us, "Be prepared, then. Tomorrow morning, you'll all be leaving for the Soul Society using the cannonball." Kukaku gave Ganju a hug as she said, "We lost our brother, Ganju, and if I lose you, I just want you to know that no matter how many times I badger you and yell at you to do things right for a change, I'll always love you." She left the room as she snapped, "Koganehiko! Shirognehiko! Let's go! I need both of your help in order to get the launching machine ready!" She left the room with two two weird Indian dudes. Before I knew it, I was asleep.


	11. First Bankai Release

Chapter 11

When I woke up, it was morning already. Only thing was, I woke up yelling, "I told you I'm not playing Monkey In The Middle with a sword being tossed!" No one but Ganju was around, so I asked him, "What was I dreaming about?"

"You're just like Ichigo, if that's what you're asking," he snapped. "Now, hush up! I need to have this thing memorized!" I tried to take a peek at what he was reading, but he yelled, "Get away from me! I ain't so good in memorizing when there are annoying people like you looking over my shoulder! That also includes Ichigo, who happens to be getting an execution sooner or later!"

Shrugging, I said, "Fine. I'll just wait with the others upstairs." I stopped at the door as I asked, "Where is the launching thing, any way?"

"Up the stairs that you used to come down here and make a right," he told me without looking up from the scroll that he had. "Tell Kukaku that I'll be there shortly."

When I got uo there, Youriochi was limping on three legs and her tail was a shape of staircase. I asked, "Um, what happened to your front paw and your tail?"

"I had a minor injury with my paw and my tail is perfectly normal," she responded. Her voice suddenly turned furious as she asked, "You have a problem with that, Ichisan Kurosaki?"

Shaking my head violently, I cried out, "No! No, I don't have a problem! Your tail still looks nice! I was just wondering what happened!"

"The second you fell asleep, Youriochi started to explain a few things that will be happening. Sadly, you grabbed her front paw and her tail and started to squeez it really hard. Took everyone nearly an hour to get pry you away from her. The smartest thing to do is _not_to bring that up," Chad and Atrian whispered to me.

Kukaku asked, "Where's Ganju? He said that he wanted to tag along, after all."

"He said he had something to memorize," I told her. "He was reading something and wouldn't let me see what it was. Said I was just like my dad as he covered up some sort of scroll."

Ganju came charging towards the group as he said, "I'm sorry that I'm late, but I had to do last minute mermorizing thing for Deadly Dragon Dungeon move part two. I want to see the affects of that cannonball when we enter the Soul Society." We all stepped inside the launching thing when Kukaku opened the door for us. Ganju took out the new sphere as he explained, "This has more power than the original. Kukaku and I have been working on this to improve the original, so it should keep us closer to eachother once we get inside."

Youriochi quickly told us, "Quick! Kukaku is getting ready to launch us!" The second we formed a cannonball, we were shot into the air. While we were still miles above the Soul Society, Youriochi yelled, "The second we hit and get through, we'll have ten seconds to grab onto someone! Grab anyone close to you!"

"And if Atrian gets seperated from the group, I'll go after him! When Atrian and I get seperated from rest of you, don't look for us for next two days! We'll find you when time is right!" Uryu cried out.

Ganju suddenly cried out, "Dangerous Dragon Dungeon Part 2! Dungeon surroundings activate now!" Soon, we all heard a big crash and when I counted up to ten, most of us managed to stay in the group, but Atrian and Uryu fell away. Ganju cried out, "Don't get away from the group just to get them! With Uryu around, Atrian will be alright! As for the rest of us, it's dangerous to get out of this if you're trying to get out of it on purpose!"

Youriochi called, "Kurosaki, I'll see you when I see you in the Soul Society! This is where we part for now!" With just that, Youriochi started to fall away from the group and dropped to the ground.

I held onto Orihime as tightly as I could but I lost grip of her as she got pulled out. I cried out, "Orihime!" I took tight hold of her and threw her back inside as I replaced myself with her. When she bumped into Ganju, I yelled, "Look after those two, Chad!" Next thing I knew, I was falling head first towards the ground. Out of nowhere, I felt someone grab me. The person had red head and had their hair tied back.

When the person got me to the top of a roof, a male's voice hissed, "Who are you to intrude Soul Society, kid? You don't belong here just because you have Soul Reaper uniform on!"

"Oh, great! Another person to tell me that I can't save my father just because I'm a girl!" I said with stress. I turned to look at the person who helped me out as I snapped at him, "I'm Ichisan Kurosaki! You got a problem with that?"

When I took a closer look at him, I noticed that he had thunder kind of tattoo on side of his face and had bandana on his forehead. He asked in surprised tone, "Kurosaki? You don't happen to be related to Ichigo, are you?"

"He's my dad. I only came here because I heard that he was going to get executed," I responded. "How do you know my dad?"

"My name's Renji. I'm a friend of your dad's. I'm pretty much still stuck in my teens, though," he told me with a shrug.

I snapped, "I never asked how old you were." Suddenly, I remembered that Rukia was talking about a person named Renji. I quickly asked, "Do you know Rukia Kuchiki by any chance?"

"My very first friend," he quickly told me. "I could help you find her and get you around here without getting you into trouble for being a ryoka."

I smiled as I told him, "That would be a great amount of help. I need to talk to her, any way. Need to ask her if she saw Atrian and Uryu landing anywhere near by. And few other things as well that relates to having to get around."

As Renji put on a badge on my Soul Reaper cloack for me, he asked, "How do you know Uryu, though?"

"Through Orihime and Youriochi, whom I know through Chad, who is my godfather," I hurriedly told him. "Can we just go find Rukia?"

Renji responded, "Just give me a minute! This badge will help you get around without being accused of being ryoka! Last time Ichigo was here before he left for his actual world being the twelveth company captain, he was one of the five ryokas, if you count Youriochi. As much as I hate doing this to other Soul Reapers, what other choice do I have if I want to keep Ichigo's kid alive?" When he was done putting on the badge, he quickly said, "Let's go. Rukia should be in her office right now."

On the way, we heard a farmiliar female's voice yell, "Renji! Where do you think you're going with that girl? Is she even in one of the divisions?"

As I quickly tied my hair back, Renji turned around as he cried, "I didn't do anything! Uh, she's from _my_ division!" I saw Renji starting to smile as he called, "Rukia! _There_ you are! I was just about to head to your office!"

I turned around quickly and saw that it was Rukia. When she saw me, she came running over and snapped, "How did you get in here? I could have talked to the thirteenth company, Ichisan!" She was silent for awhile before she asked, "Where are the others?"

"Ganju and Kukaku helped us get in here using the cannonball. When Atrian fell away from the group, Uryu went after him as he told the rest of us not to look for him. As for Youriochi, she fell away from the group shortly after Uryu and Atrian fell. Orihime started to fall out about a minute later, but I pushed her back in, so she's hopefull with both Ganju and Chad," I told her. "Lucky for me, Renji helped me out when I was falling head first towards the ground."

Rukia shook her head as she asked me, "How do you manage to keep your father's luck? Every time something goes wrong, there always seems to be something that helps you to get the good outcome. You know that?"

"Why is Uryu, Chad and Orihime here?" Renji asked as he turned to Rukia.

"They're here to help me get my dad out before his execution," I told him. "Orihime haven't seen him much since high school was over, so she wanted to tag along. Also said that she wanted to improve her new powers."

We heard a female's voice miles away yell, "_I REJECT!_"

Rukia and I said at the same time, "Orihime."

Just as we heard a loud crash, someone the on the P.A. system announced, "Three of the ryokas are spotted together! All three are friends of Ichigo Kurosaki from years ago when he was a teenager! As far as we know, there are six in total! Two of them are identified as teenagers and one is the last Quincy! Find them and eliminate them! Captains and vice-captains of all companies, you all will be in charge of this when leading your company to defeat these ryokas!"

Startled, I asked, "You're not going to sell me out, are you?"

Rukia shook her head as she told me, "Ichisan, listen to me closely. Renji and I will let you escape and get as far away as possible. Keep your eye out for my step-brother. No one here has ever dared to call by his first name, but if you meet a Soul Reaper with black hair and white streak in the middle, becareful. He's one of the most powerful Soul Reapers and the best captains that the Soul Society could ever find."

Renji placed a hand on my shoulder as he told me, "And keep your eyes out for Kenny. He's still looking to have fun and the last time he ever had fun was when Ichigo fought him. From what I can sense, your spiritual energy is sky rocketing. He would be more than interested to fight you. I should know."

I nodded and hugged Rukia as I whispered to her, "Thanks, mom. You'll always have my back, right? From now on, I mean."

"Of course. I haven't been there for you all this time and now, I will," Rukia told me. As she pulled herself away from me, she told me, "Now go, Ichisan. Your father needs you more than ever. I can't think of another way to thank him for raising you all these years."

Just before I ran off, Renji told me, "I'll follow you in a safe distance. Just call my name if you're in trouble and I'm there."

I nodded as I told him, "Thanks." I ran off and I saw from corners of my eyes that Renji and Rukia was talking about something. Another thing I saw was that they were staring right at me. The last thing I needed while running around to look for my dad was be distracted.

After five minutes of running, I felt a high spiritual energy appear out of nowhere. When I looked up at all the buildings, a guy that Rukia had described standing on top of one of the buildings. I gulped as he jumped down in front of me. He told me in calm tone, "I'm suprised that my sister let you escape that easily."

I heard Renji's voice cry out with fear from behind me, "No! Don't fight with him! As high as your spiritual energy may be, you're not ready to fight him!"

I yelled at him, "Stay back, Renji! If he is one of the Soul Reapers I have to fight to get to my dad, I will!" I took out my zanpaku-to and put it in front of me as I snapped at this Soul Reaper, "Bring it on! Let's see if you have the guts to fight your own niece because I know that I have guts to fight you!"

This guy didn't even smile when he told me as he took out his own zanpaku-to, "You seem pretty confident for your age, kid."

I closed my eyes as I muttered to myself, "Takikanto, help me."

I heard Takikanto's voice almost as though it was a whisper, "If you want to defeat him, you'd have to trust me and hand your life over to me. If you do me a favor of just that, I'll hand my life over to you with all my trust, Ichisan. Do you trust me?"

Grinning, I told her loud enough from both Renji and Rukia's brother to hear, "Of course I trust you, Takikanto. My life is in your hands. You going to help me out here?"

"Impossible! Takikanto wouldn't dare to choose you out of all the Soul Reapers!" Rukia's brother cried out.

Takikanto told me, "Go for it, Ichisan. You have my life in your hands now."

I yelled, "Bankai!" There was a huge lion and a huge dog standing at either side of me. I looked at both of them as I asked, "Is this supposed to happen?"

"It's really rare with most of the Soul Reaper's bankai, but the ones with Takikanto are always ending up with this bankai. Of course, trusts are also important in using bankai, as well as how well the training went," Renji responded. "The higher those two are, the more powerful the bankai ends up for Takikanto."

I kept my concetration on my bankai as I told him, "Thanks for the info."

Renji yelled at Rukia's brother, "Are you really going to fight your niece, Byakuya? What if you kill her? She means more than anything to your sister! You know it! The only thing that Rukia was able to talk about was how much she wanted to see her daughter! Do you want to bring misery to Rukia?"

"I have no interest for Rukia, Renji, so stay out of it," was all he had to say.

Takikanto told me, "Ichisan, you still haven't mastered bankai with me, but I am more than willing to let you use one of the bankai moves. Just cry out Senbonzakura Kageyoshi as soon as you cry out bankai."

I hit my zanpaku-to on the ground as I yelled at top of my lungs, "_Bankai Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!_" The two huge animals on my sides disappeared and appeared before Rukia's brother just as they attacked him. I got up as I snapped, "I'm not an ordinary girl, Uncle Byakuya. I'm the daughter of Ichigo Kurosaki as well, so don't forget what kind of Soul Reaper you're dealing with."

When the smoke cleared up, my uncle was lying on the ground. He was bleeding all over the place and he was a mess. He weakly looked up at me from where he was lying down. As he breathed hard, he told me, "Go, then. Next time, you'll be defeated. Oh, and here's a piece of warning. Watch out for Kenny. He's tougher than I am and I expect him to kill you for me." With just that, he passed out.

Renji hurriedly told me, "Leave, Ichisan! Leave!"

"But, Renji," I told him with pain that he was chasing me away.

"LEAVE! DON'T YOU HEAR ME?" he yelled with anger. "Other Soul Reapers will be here soon! Summon back your bankai by force! They'll hunt you down that way! You want to save Ichigo or not? I won't be having your back for awhile, Ichisan! You're on your own for quite some time! So leave! This is for your own safety!"

I gathered up my courage and started to run in the direction that I was running as I yelled, "Atrian! Where are you? Hey! Ugly! You anywhere near by with Orihime and Chad?" I remembered one of the running techniques that my dad had taught me. I tried to remember what he said about how the Soul Reapers use them. Just as the other Soul Reapers started to chase me, I quickly used the technique. I tried to remember what he called it, but I was focused on saving my dad way too much that some of the informations had escaped. Only upside was I remembered the things he taught me ten years ago.

As I continued to run, I crashed into two people. When I landed on my back, I heard Atrian's voice ask, "Ichisan? Are you serious?"

I scrambled up onto my feet as I quickly said, "Run for it! They find you two, you guys are in trouble! I'm in trouble already myself!"

Uryu asked, "What did you do?"

"Let's just say I bumped into my uncle. In other words, Byakuya Kuchiki! I beat him pretty bad with just one move of bankai! Now, they're after me! Renji even chased me off when he said that he would always have my back!" I quickly told him, rather in rushing way.

I heard a voice yell, "There are three of the six ryokas there!"

When I turned around, I saw that there were ten Soul Reapers coming charging right at us. I yelled, "Run for it!"

Uryu ordered Atrian, "Atrian, go with Ichisan! You're training is almost done and they would want the one who has been here already before! In other words, they'd want me the most!" He turned to me as he instructed, "Head for the white tower in the center of the city! That's the place that Ichigo is most likely at!"

With just that, Uryu ran off, but the Soul Reapers caught up with Atrian and me even before we began running. When I saw a small Soul Reaper running by, I grabbed him and took out my zanpaku-to as I yelled at the other Soul Reapers, "Watch it! Come closer and I kill this kid! He's your friend, right? If you want to save your friend, let us go!"

"Are you nuts?" Atrian yelled.

"No, but I'm trying to get us out of this mess," I told him. That's when I remembered the badge that Renji had given me and I cursed under my breath. When I saw that Atrian was giving me a questioning look, I told him, "Let's just say a friend of my mom gave me a badge to cover myself up incase I got into trouble with any Soul Reapers, but completely forgot about it."

The boy that I was holding onto cried out with fear, "Please don't kill me! I'm not with them! They're all from Ichigo Kurosaki's twelveth company! It might've been Kenny who sent them! I'm just with the fourth company! For some reason, Hinamori sent the fourth company out when she's in fifth! Please let me go!"

One of the Soul Reapers cried out, "Kill him! He's a weakling anyway!"

Everyone started to crack up as I grabbed Atrian and started to run as fast as I did just before I crashed into him and Uryu. When we hid in a small storage room, Atrian asked, "Where did you learn to run like that?"

"My dad gave me private lessons when I was a kid. He let me practice my sword fight using his zanpaku-to while I was still in my human form. As for other things, he taught me every day of how they should be used," I explained.

As Atrian pointed at the kid from the fourth company, he asked, "And why did you drag a kid here? Did your dad teach you that as well?"

My inside froze as I told him, "His stories of when he was here is stuck in my head that I guess I grabbed him accidentally like Ganju did years ago."

"Ganju? I've heard that name before from one of my old friends several years ago!" the boy cried out. When Atrian and I turned to look at him, he told us, "It's been quite some time since I last saw him, so I forget what his name was, but he said that everyday, he would clean Rukia Kuchiki's cell and would listen to all the stories that she would tell him about Ichigo Kurosaki. And then, one day, when he was wandering around looking for the entire fourth company, he saw tenth company's men. That's when Ichigo Kurosaki himself grabbed him and threatened the tenth company not to attack Mr. Ganju and Mr. Ichigo or he was going to get it."

I raised my eyebrows as I asked, "You've heard stories about my dad? Can't believe it!"

Atrian asked, "Hey, kid. What's your name?"

"Karasuki, sir," the boy responded.

I looked at the kid for a moment as I asked, "Karasuki, you interested in meeting Ichigo Kurosaki himself? Not to forget to mention Ganju."

"Can I?" Karasuki asked as his eyes grew wide with excitement.

Atrian yelled at me, "Are you nuts? I'm not dragging a kid around with us!"

I told Atrian with boredom, "Fine. Go find your dad, then. Uryu could be in deep trouble for all I care. All I'm looking foward to is fighting Kenny and saving my own dad. On top of that, I need to find Chad, Orihime and Ganju as well. I heard Orihime yelling 'I reject' after Renji saved my neck."

Atrian asked with shock, "Renji? Is this guy one of the Soul Reapers here?"

Nodding, I showed him the badge that Renji gave me. "Gave me this to cover myself up. Don't know which company it's for, though."

Karasuki took a quick look at it as he told me, "That's for the sixth company. He's already moved up to eleventh company, though. Don't understand why he has it, although it would make sense if he saved it from years ago."

Atrian asked, "What do you mean?"

Karusuki responded, "He rarely gives his old badge to anyone. She's the first one he actually gave his badge to and his old badge is real important to him that he won't let anyone even touch it or look at it."

Atrian turned to me as he told me with an evil grin, "Hey, Kurosaki! It looks like someone has a major crush on you!"

"He does not have a crush on me, Atrian! You know that I don't have interests in boys! You seem to notice everything any way! You even seem to notice who likes who, which means you should know I don't have interest in any guys!" I yelled.

"You're Kurosaki?" Karusuki asked with surprise. When I nodded, he told me, "Is it really alright if I actually tagged along with you? I'll help you get to the tower you need to get to! I swear! If you want to fight Kenny, I'll see if that's possible at all! Please let me tag along! I would really like to meet Mr. Ganju and Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki! I've heard that those two were legendary!"

I asked Atrian, "Um, Atrian, I get how my dad could be a legend, but do you about Ganju?"

As Atrian shook his head, Karusuki told me, "Ganju Shiba's brother was actually the vice-captain of the thirteenth company, the best and the strongest company there is in the Soul Society! What happened was that his wife was killed by a hollow so he went after that hollow as a revenge! But he was taken under control that Rukia Kuchiki really had no choice but to kill him off! He thanked her for killing him without choice and also said that he would be able to rest comfortably! Ever since, Rukia struggled with that on her shoulders! Ganju went to save her without knowing at first who he was saving! But he was captured in the end by Rukia's brother, Kuchiki Byokuya. Because of Kenny being led by a female named Orihime, he managed to escape with Ishida Uryu and Sado Chad."

"How many other things do you possibly know, kid?" I asked as I started to flip out on him.

The boy gave a weak laugh as he told me, "Quite a lot. I've heard things here and there, so I have a lot of informations on basically everything."

Atrian asked, "What does fourth company do that you guys are hated?"

"We do cleaning and healing, mostly," Karusuki told him. "We're the weakest company there is, so other companies don't even care about us. If we die while fighting, they don't put any of their interest in us. They just think that it's one less weak Soul Reaper to think about."

I thought for a minute or two before I asked, "Karusuki, when can you start leading us towards the tower in middle of this entire place? From what Renji told me, that's the place where my dad is most likely kept before his execution day arrives."

Karusaki told me, "After I heal some of your wounds and your friend's wounds, we could start heading out late at night tonight. That is, if you don't mind not having to go to sleep at all."

I told him, "Just wake us up three in the morning. It's already getting dark any way and I will need to be as awake as possible if I want to fight Kenny."

Karusaki said, "Yes, ma'am. Will do."

Atrian asked me, "Are you sure this is a good idea, Ichisan?"

I nodded as I told him, "I really want to save my dad, Atrian. Wouldn't you do the same if it was your father?"

As Atrian lied down on his back, he responded quietly, "Yeah. I guess I would." I walked over to the entrance and looked at the dark surroundings. The only hope I had was that the others were doing okay and haven't been caught yet. Even if they were, another thing that I could have hoped for was that they haven't been killed off. Those were my main worries asides from my dad.

All I actually could whisper to myself was, "Don't worry, dad. I'm coming for you. I'll do whatever I can to save you, so hang in there for me." I sat down as I leaned against the wall and I had trouble falling asleep, but my eyes started to close and before I knew it, I was dreaming about the times when I was just four years old when I first started to learn bankai. I saw that huge smile of joy on my dad's face that I never got to see before he was taken away from me by the Soul Reapers.


	12. Getting Closer To Saving Ichigo

Chapter 12

It only seemed as though it was few minutes when someone was shaking me as I heard Karusaki's voice whisper, "Miss Kurosaki! Wake up!"

My eyes flung open and Atrian quickly told me, "It's time to start heading towards where your dad is, Kurosaki!"

I nodded as I stood up. I told them, "Let's go, then."

While Karusaki led us, we heard a farmiliar voice say, "Ichisan Kurosaki? Is that you? Or are you Ichigo Kurosaki with longer hair?"

I turned around and saw Renji standing only few steps from Karusaki, Atrian and me. I smiled as I ran over to him as I said cheerfully, "Renji!" When I reached him, I asked, "How did you find me here? How's Byakuya doing after I beat him?"

Atrian called over to me, "Hey, Kurosaki! Do you even realize that he's a Soul Reaper?"

"Oh, shut up, Ishida! What do you know? He gave me his badge to cover myself up, didn't he?" I snapped back.

Renji walked me back to Karusaki and Atrian as he asked me, "Did Ichigo even teach you how to keep your spiritual energy under control?"

As I shook my head, I told him, "Only bankai and how to summon the spirit of the zanpaku-to of my own. Although I managed to summon other Soul Reapers' zanpaku-to spirit." When he raised his eye brow, I hit him in the chest as hard as I could. When some sort of baboon appeared, I told him, "The spirit of your zanpaku-to looks like a baboon." When he looked shocked, I smiled as I told Karusaki, "Let's go. I want to save my dad instead of standing around here with Renji looking shocked."

We walked for only few more minutes when Karusaki stopped to kneel down on his knees. He lifted up a tile as he told me and Atrian, "Mr. Atrian, Miss Kurosaki, down the tunnel. I'll be down after you two and lead you guys from there on."

By the expression on Atrian's face, I could have told that he was as uncertain as I was about taking this path. I turned to the boy as I asked him, "Are you sure this will work? I mean, how do you know other Soul Reapers won't find us down there?"

Renji responded from behind us, "We don't know the way down there that well. The only ones that know inside out are the fourth department. I wouldn't be surprised if Ganju and Ichigo memorized that place as well." Atrian climbed down, soon followed by Karusaki. As Renji started to climb down, he held out a hand as he asked, "You coming or not? If you stay, you'll be caught. Come with us, you'll be safe. At least I'll make sure you're kept safe. I wouldn't let any Soul Reapers hurt you. I promise."

I smiled as I told him, "Go! I'll follow you!" As soon as I got down there, we started to walk around. After a lot of twists and turns, I felt a farmiliar spritual energy around the corner. I quickly ordered the others, "Stop! I sense a spiritual energy! It's very farmiliar and right around the corner, too!" As I crept closer to the edge, Ganju and I bumped into eachother and we started to scream our heads off, terrified. I yelled at him once we both calmed down, "Can you stop scaring the heck out of me, ugly?"

"Me scare you? How about you stop scaring me?" Ganju yelled back.

Karusaki begged, "Miss Kurosaki! Please! If you wish to save Mr. Ichigo, we have to hurry! We're so close to the tower you wanted to get to so badly!"

Ganju looked happier as he said, "Hey! Let me tag along! I was trying to figure these tunnels out! Forgot since it's been long time since I was last down here with Ichigo and that kid from fourth company!"

When I saw that Karusaki looked confused, I cried out, "Oh! Right! I told you I was going to introduce you to Ganju!" I turned to Ganju as I told him, "This is one of the fourth company Soul Reapers, Karusaki." I pointed to Ganju as I told Karusaki, "This is Ganju the ugly face."

Just as Ganju was about to yell at me, Renji quickly put his arm around my shoulder as he cried out, "Let's get going! Shall we not?"

Ganju's eyes grew wide as he yelled, "Why are _you_ here, red head?"

Atrian yelled, "Stop the arguing!" When we all turned to look at him, Atrian asked Ganju, "Have you heard anything about the others?"

Ganju nodded as he responded, "Chad, Orihime and I ran into some trouble with one of the captains, but Chad told us to leave the captain to him to fight with. Not too long later, we felt his spiritual energy drop to a very low point. He's still alive, but I won't be surprised if he's locked up. As for your father, Atrian, I've heard that he's locked up. Kenny said he'll look after Orihime, so I had no choice but to leave her with Kenny. She'll be fine in the hands of Kenny, though. He's one of the very few Soul Reapers I can trust."

Karusaki quickly said, "Let's go. We're not far away from another entrance and this one is the entrance we need to use in order to get to the tower." We turned to the left and got out of the door that appeared first on our right.

After we climbed out of the door, I felt high spiritual energy that made me shiver to my bones. Not even the sun that was out helped me stay warm. When I looked up, I saw a huge figure of a man with spiky hair, broad shoulders and as macho looking as Chad. I only completely got myself out when I heard Renji yell, "Get out so we all can get out of here, Ichisan!" After I got myself out, Renji stuck his head out as he started to ask, "What's wrong that made you - ?" Renji slowly looked up and saw the shadow himself as he said with shock, "Oh, no! We came here at the wrong time!"

Suddenly, Orihime's voice cried out, "Ichisan-san? Renji-san?"

Orihime's head popped up from behind the huge guy's shoulder and I cried out with joy, "Orihime! You're still alive! Just when I thought I wouldn't run into you again!"

Ganju and Karusaki got out not too long later, but Karusaki fell on his side as he gasped for air. He was shaking violently as Ganju asked the huge Soul Reaper, "Kenny! No! Not Ichisan Kurosaki! She's only here to save Ichigo!"

The Soul Reaper named Kenny shook his head as he told Ganju, "Sorry, but I only promised to take care of Orihime. You can take the Quincy boy, the kid from the fourth company and Orihime and start to run. I'm keeping this girl with me. I feel very high spiritual energy from her and I won't let her go unless if she beats me."

When they all gave me a doubtful look, I told them, "Go. I'll finish him off as quick as possible. I beat Byakuya with just one bankai move, didn't I?" When they all looked at me, bewildered, I snapped, "_Didn't_ I, Renji? You were a witness, after all!"

Renji nodded as he quickly ordered Ganju and Orihime, "Guys, take Karusaki with you right now! I'm staying with Ichisan!" Orihime was ready to argue when Renji yelled furiously, "Take him and run! Ichisan's bankai is way too powerful for you to handle!" Ganju grabbed Karusaki and ran as fast as he could. When Orihime didn't budge, Renji turned to look at me. He asked softly, "Is it alright if you stayed here to fight alone, Ichisan? I mean, are you sure you don't want us around to help you when you need it?"

I told him, "Stay if you must, but stay far back. This will be rough." Renji nodded and knocked out Orihime pretty badly before he took her away after Ganju. I whispered, "Thanks, Renji. Thanks for understanding me." I turned back to Kenny as I asked him, "Isn't my dad close friends with you?"

"What do you mean?" was all Kenny asked.

"What I mean is that aren't you good friends with Ichigo Kurosaki? All my dad ever talked about when he taught me how to use bankai was you," I told him. "All he could ever talk about was how much fun he had having to fight you, especially since that was actually the time he managed to get himself stronger while he was the first to give you whole bunch of cuts. Said that he thought he could never do it without Zangetsu."

Kenny smiled as he told me, "I see you're going to be a lot of fun as well! Ichigo was the first in so many years to beat me! What's your zanpaku-to's name, child?"

"Takikanto," I told him. "I'm of the very few who has ever had her. Third or fourth one, I believe." When I saw that he had shocked expression like the others had in the past, I smirked as I told him, "I guess you also have heard of her, then." I closed my eyes and concentrated deeply. I whispered, "Takikanto, where are you?"

"The only Soul Reaper I have ever gone to has been able to defeat him one way. If you wish to beat him, use ten lightning strike attack, but first try to figure out of it is bankai or shikai," Takikanto responded. "But if you wish to defeat him the way your father did, then I am here with you." I felt her presence and her spiritual hands grab the handles over my hands. She the whispsered in my ears, "I am ready when you are."

I yelled as I raised my zanpaku-to, "_Shikai Juu Raikou Dageki Raishuu!_" Then only caused the earth to shake and crack open far apart beneath Kenny's feet, but he managed to climb out.

He smiled at me as he cried out, "Very powerful shikai! Let's see if you could do any more! I'll let you try to attack me once more! Go on!"

I yelled, "Bankai!" A huge lion and a huge dog appeared on either side of me once more and I snapped at Atrian, who was still standing behind me, "Atrian! Leave! The ten lightning strike attack won't be pretty! I get the feeling that this is going to be even dangerous for me!" Shivering, Atrian ran for his life towards where Ganju, Renji, Orihime and Karusaki had gone. Once he was gone, I hit my zanpaku-to on the ground as I yelled at top of my lungs, "_Juu Banaki Raikou Dageki Raishuu!_" Soon, there was a huge lightning ball that hit right where Kenny was standing. Next thing I knew, the ground blew up and the spot that had blew up was the exact same spot where Kenny was standing. It wasn't long before even I was covered completely in smoke, because I started to cough violetly as my eyes started to water. Was Kenny alive or dead? That was the main question I had in mind.


	13. Never Giving Up

Chapter 13

When the smoke cleared, Kenny was lying on the ground, unconcious. A small kid with blonde hair popped out from nowhere as he said, "That was a powerful bankai!" The kid looked at Kenny and cried out, "What did you do to Kenny? He's bleeding much more than when he first fought Ichigo!"

When I looked at Kenny, I saw that he was more of a mess than Byakuya was. I said, "I'm sorry, but he wouldn't let me get to Ichigo Kurosaki, who happens to be my father. And I swore to my soul that I would do whatever I can to get to my dad."

As I started to run after where Ganju, Orihime, Atrian, Renji and Karusaki were, but stopped when the little kid told me, "Well, you better watch your back, then! You got yourself injured quite a lot at the same time using that bankai!" I didn't really notice the pain until I actually took my first step and moved my arm. When I looked down at myself, there were pretty deep cuts in my legs and arms.

I turned around as I told the kid, "Just watch after Kenny. As much as I hate what he tried to do, I really don't want any of my dad's friends to get hurt badly." I started to run once more, but I tried to hold in the pains when I ran.

On the way up, Renji stopped me. He didn't look at me in the eye as he told me, "Everyone but Orihime are caught. I managed to let her escape by herself, but she asked me to come look for you and help you. I'm sorry, but I have to go against her wishes."

He took out his zanpaku-to as I yelled at him, "What are you doing? You promised my mom that you would help me! You told me you had my back as well!" When he pulled out his zanpaku-to all the way out and was about to cut me with it, I yelled even louder, "I thought you were friends with Rukia Kuchiki, you jerk! Don't friends keep promises to each other?"

Renji turned to look at me and I saw that tears filled his eyes. He dropped his zanpaku-to and fell on his knees. "I'm sorry, Ichisan," he whispered as his voice trembled. "My captain ordered me to kill you on the spot, but I can not seem to attack you. It's not because your my friends' daughter."

I asked him quietly, "Where Karusaki? At least he could help me out."

Renji told me, "He's still up there. The captains haven't dismissed him or locked him up. If you hurry, you probably will be able to meet up with him." I ran as fast as I could up the steps, but this time, I barely felt the pains.

When I reached the top, about four or five Soul Reapers were there with Kurosaki and a Soul Reaper with pale skin and orange hair. I asked, "Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Every head snapped to me as the pale skinned Soul Reaper cried out with joy, "Ichisan!" Suddenly, he frowned as he asked, "Why are you here? I told Chad that if he technically saw you, he should tell you not to come after me!"

I asked with a smirk, "Do you think a friend would actually let a friend down, dad? Chad is not that kind of person and you know it! It was actually mom who told me that you were getting your execution. As for Mr. Hats-And-Clogs, he was the one who forced me to become a Soul Reaper by cutting my soul off from my body and throwing me down into a pit full of mouth things. You were just lucky enough that I came in time."

"Look at you, Ichisan! You're not in shape to fight now!" my dad yelled furiously.

I looked down at myself as I asked, "What? These cuts? I only got them from the last bankai I used. The Ten Lightning Strike Attack. That was the only way I could get past Kenny."

"If your dad says you're not fighting, Ichisan, then you're not," Renji's voice said. When we all turned to look at him, he told my dad, "You want me to take her to Youriochi's secret place, Ichigo? I mean, if you don't want her to fight now."

My dad nodded as he said, "Please. I don't want my daughter to get hurt any worst. Look for a hot spring for her. She'll be able to get healed up faster."

Renji nodded as he ordered the other Soul Reapers, "What are you doing just standing around? Take him into his cell! After all, his execution date had already been brought down to in fourteen days from today." When they took my dad in, Renji told Karusaki, "Pretend you don't know anything. At least not until Ichigo gets saved. Now go on, Karusaki. Your division must be worried about you." When Karusaki had gone, Renji told me, "You're only going to refuse, so I have no choice to attack you before I bring you to the cave." It was in a blink of an eye that Renji was standing right next to me and cut me badly on side of my waist. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Renji's face.

When I woke up, I was in a hot spring and my Soul Reaper clothes were off. When I looked around, a dark skinned woman with messy black hair was sitting in the hot spring as well, but more naked than I was. I asked her with confusion, "Who are you? Where am I? What happened? How did I get here?" I suddenly remembered Renji as I asked, "Where's Renji?"

"It's me, you idiot! Youriochi. You're in a cave specially designed by me and you call a friend of mine Hats-And-Clogs. You passed out after Renji attacked you to get your here without any struggle. As we speak, Renji' s training to get his bankai even stronger." When I took good look at my arms, they all healed and Youriochi started to laugh the second my surprised expression popped onto my face. "This spring is designed specially to heal up the cuts and wounds. You might want to wash your face with this water." When I did, I felt all the wounds being closed up.

Just as I was about to get out of the water from feeling more alive, Renji showed up. I quickly got back in the water as my face reddened and he asked, "You awake now?" He crouched down and gave me a kiss on the cheek as he whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry I had to attack you like that earlier, Ichisan. I really am." I felt something tugging in my heart as Renji got up. He told Youriochi, "Before I leave, make sure that Ichisan gets better training with the Ten Lightning Strike Attack of bankai. That's what got her into most of that mess of getting deep cuts." He looked at me and something told me that he wanted to say something else before he turned away as he said, "I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning, Ichisan. First, strengthen up your bankai. With that kind of attack that you used on Kenny, you could get at least half of the population of Soul Reapers unconcious with just one of that." With just that, he ran off without looking back.

When he was gone, Youriochi told me, "He has feelings for you."

I got out and put my Soul Reaper clothes on. I told her, "Impossible. He's just being nice to me because I'm his friends' kid."

"Then why did he kiss you on the cheek?" When I didn't respond, she told me with a grin, "Because he was afraid to kiss you on the lips, child." Youriochi got out of the springs herself and put some clothes on as she said, "Let's start the training, shall we not?"

I shook my head as I focused on the image of Takikanto. It didn't take long for Takikanto to appear in form of a lion. Takikanto told me, "I'm impressed, Ichisan. I never thought you'd be able to release me to fight by your side."

I turned to Youriochi as I said, "If this is what you were going to teach me while you were going to reteach me how to use bankai, that's not necessary any more, is it?"

Youriochi looked shocked and Takikanto gave a laugh. She told me, "You only sent me out in my Ruler Of The Jungle form, but that'll do." She turned to Youriochi as she asked, "Don't you agree that she should just hang out for some time? She's quite talented young lady."

I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped when I felt high spiritual energy. I quickly turned to look at the entrance and saw a large shadow. Kenny's voice asked, "Mind if I join you folks?"


	14. Hardships Have Just Begun

Chapter 14

When Kenny came up to me, I asked with shock, "How did you get healed up so fast? I was possitive that the bankai I used would have been very effective and would've have you'd knocked out for several days!"

"I'm one the strongest Soul Reapers around here, remember?" Kenny said. He told me, "If you want to save Ichigo, you'd better hurry. Everyone was told by the black moth that Ichigo's execution will be in five days."

Youriochi handed over some sort of bone to me as she said, "Ichisan, take this. Your father used this years ago to try to save Rukia. He was badly injured and was out of his mind back then. But seeing that you're stronger than he is, I'm positive that you'll actually be able to save him."

I took it and grabbed Kenny as I cried out, "You're coming with me! I need your help in finding Orihime!"

Kenny skidded to a halt as he said, "She should be at the tower you were at earlier. I feel her spiritual energy around there at the moment. Ichigo's out talking to her, but tied up."

I put the bone thing around my wrist and ran out the entrance. Soon, I was flying and I headed straight towards the tower I was at when I passed out. By the time I arrived, Orihime was already in trouble, because she was having hard time avoiding attacks from a blonde haired Soul Reaper who had very squinty eyes and smiling from ear to ear. My dad fell to his knees as he gasped, crying out, "Gin! Get away! I feel higher spiritual energy! It's higher than my own daughter's as well! This one could defeat you with one attack!"

I landed besides my dad as I told him, "How is my spiritual higher than my own, dad?" When Orihime turned around, I smiled up at her as I said, "Hello, Orihime! How have you been doing since you left me to fight with Kenny?" As I got up onto my feet, I told Orihime, "Take care of my dad while I fight this guy, Orihime."

As I walked up to the Soul Reaper and got ready fight him, my dad yelled at me furiously, "Ichisan! Get away! He's one of the twelve remaining captains! You know very well yourself that I was going to leave my captain spot to Kenny once I get executed!"

"You're my dad and I'm not giving up on you after you looked after me all these years! I promised Rukia that I would save you! Most importantly, I swore to my soul that I _will_ save you no matter what happens to me!" I yelled back at him. I sneered at the blonde haired captain, "Bring it on, pretty boy!"

The smile of this captain grew bigger as he said, "Oh! A tough girl!" He looked past me as he said to my dad, "This your kid, Captain Kurosaki?"

My dad lay where he was as he begged, "Please, Gin! Please don't attack my daughter! She doesn't know what she's doing! All I taught her was to use bankai with my zanpaku-to while I was a Soul Reaper! She doesn't know how to summon her own! Please! I beg you!"

I turned half way around as I told my dad, "I'm sorry you haven't been there to see me summon Takikanto for first time, dad." I hit my zanpaku-to to my right as I yelled, "Ruler Of The Jungle!" When the lion form of Takikanto appeared, I saw that my dad looked shocked while the captain named Gin started to smile with pleasure. I snapped my attention to the Soul Reaper as I asked, "Sorry, but my dad never talked about you. What did you say your name was again?"

"Gin. Captain Ichimaru, for you," he responded. As he took his own zanpaku-to out, he added, "The one who will kill you!"

I flung my zanpaku-to foward and hit it point down as I yelled as loud as I could, "_Shikai Juu Raikou Dageki Raishuu!_" Just as Ichimaru started to charge right for me, he fell into the crack that was being made.

Ichimaru jumped out about a minute later as he yelled at me, "You'd wish you hadn't done that, kid!" When he came down, he was right above me and had his zanpaku-to coming down first, just so he could try to cut my head open as he finished me off.

Takikanto jumped and knocked Ichimaru to the side as she roared, "No one attacks one of the best Soul Reapers I'm their zanpaku-to, Ichimaru, and you know it!"

Ichimary still had that huge grin on his face as he said, "Of course I remember, Takikanto, but you have forgotten to have your quote-on-quote side-kick on their guard!"

He threw his zanpaku-to right at me and caused injury to my leg as the blade slashed across half way deep into my leg. As I fell on my knees, screaming with pain, I heard my dad yell with terror, "Ichisan!" I got back up on my feet, but leaned on my uninjured leg.

I yelled at Ichimaru, "You'll pay for it! What you did to my dad! Especially what you did to my mom! No one teases Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki in an evil way and gets away with it!"

Takikanto got off of Ichimaru as she snapped, "You have to leave all your life in my hands, Ichisan! Have you forgotten already?"

I shook my head as I whispered, "No. You still have my life in your hands, Takikanto, but my dad's life is in mine. I'm the only one who can save him!" I looked at her and asked, "Do you trust me? Because I trust you with all my life."

She smiled and disappeared. I felt her grab the zanpaku-to with me as she said, "Then it's time you unraveled the true power of bankai. Use the same one you used on Kenny."

I yelled at top of my lungs, "Bankai!" When a huge lion and a huge dog appeared besides me once more, I saw that Ichimaru's eyes grew wide. I spat in his face, "Why do you look so surprised, _captain_? I thought you have seen Takikanto's powers before!"

My dad started to gasp for breath even harder and I saw that he was sweating with no end. Orihime gulped as she pointed upward. She quietly told me, "Ichisan-san! Look what's happening to your bankai!"

When I looked up, the dog and the lion had emerged, but that was not all. Their front feet were the feet of a bird and had wings of a bold eagle. To top that, it had tail of dog, lion and a serpent. I asked in terrified tone, "Takikanto? What's going on?"

The only response I got from her was, "Ichisan, don't lose your trust in me! You have finally reached your highest point of bankai! I can help you save your father! Are you with me or will you just chicken out like only other Soul Reaper I had worked with in the past?"

I took a deep, calming breaths as I told her quietly, "Which one did you say I should use? The one used on Byakuya or Kenny?"

"Try the one that you used on Byakuya first," she quickly said.

I ran foward and cut Ichimaru across his chest and backed off few steps before I quickly muttered, "_Bankai Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!_" The creature that had formed recently had been broken apart into small pieces and attacked Ichimaru. Renji quickly got in front of Ichimaru as I cried out with fear, "Renji! Get out of the way!"

But it was too late by the time the warning reached him. Not only was Ichimaru attacked and screamed as though he was being stabbed with small pieces of glasses, same thing was happening to Renji as well. When the attack was finished, I ran over to Renji and he weakly told me, "I'm sorry, Ichisan, but I didn't think what I was doing. If I die like this, I just want you to know that I love you."

When he passed out, All the other Soul Reapers started to arrive, including Rukia. I heard Rukia shrilly cry, "Renji! Wake up!" She ran over and shook him hard as she shrieked, "Renji! Renji! C'mon! You can't die! Open your eyes!"

As my eyes started to fill with tears, I picked up Renji's motionless body and carried it over to my dad. I ordered him, "Grab on to my heel and don't let go." My dad looked bewildered as I yelled once more, "Dad! Do this for me! I still haven't completed my training of bankai! If you trust me, you will do this for me! I still need your help!"

My dad looked away as he told me, "My apologies, Ichisan, but I can not come with you. I will take my death honorably like any other Soul Reapers would."

I clenched my teeth as I said, "Fine! But remember this, dad! I'm not giving up on you! You always supported me and was always there for me when I needed you the most! I'll come back to get you as soon as I can!" I let a short scream of anger as I raised the arm with the bone thing tied around it and I flew once more, but with Renji over my shoulders.

When I got to where Kenny and Youriohci were, they seemed shocked that I brought Renji with me. Kenny asked, "Wasn't it Gin that you attacked?"

I gently put Renji down as I told him, "Yes, but Renji got in the way and my bankai attacked both Renji and Ichimaru."

Kenny hurriedly said, "I'll get some of the fourth company people!"

Youriochi ran after Kenny as she yelled, "No! No one can come here! I'm not allowing you to bring anyone here! You hear me? Are you listening to what I'm saying, Kenny?"

I just sat next to Renji as tears streamed down my face. I beat his chest as I yelled, "Why, Renji? Why did you have to block my attack? You wanted to save my dad! I know you did! So why did you have to block it, you idiot?" I buried my face into his chest and started to cry my eyes out. No matter what I said, he didn't wake. No matter what I did, he did not move. All I heard was his steady breathing. All I saw was his chest moving up and down steadily and barely unnoticeably. Even though I knew he was knocked out cold and hopefully will awaken soon, I cried in his chest. I didn't know whatelse to do. Up to this point, I considered myself a tomboy, but I guess I was wrong all these years. I just wished everything went the way I wanted to go : the _right_ way.


	15. Giving Up One Thing For Another

**(writer's note: All I have to say is because it's taking way too long to respond to my story, I'll just put this up for everyone to read.)**

Chapter 15

I felt a hand grabbing my shoulders to pick me up and lie me down on the ground. When I opened my eyes, Renji was there, hovering right over me. I quickly sat up and flung my arms around his neck as I told him startled, "Renji! You're alright!"

Renji hugged me back and he ran his fingers through my hair as he whispered gently, "Yeah. I didn't think I would wake you when I laid you down on the ground to sleep comfortably instead of crouching over my body like that." He backed off and looked at my face. He asked, "Have you been crying?"

I stood up as I quickly responded, "That's not the point. I still haven't saved my dad."

A black moth came in and stayed in front of Renji for a short while before it vanished. Renji quickly got onto his feet as he muttered, "Oh, no! Ichigo!"

Just as he started to run out, I demanded, "What's going on? What is it about my dad?" When Renji looked as though he was having doubts about telling me, I yelled, "Tell me! What is it that has to do with my dad?"

"His execution started." As soon as Renji told me that, he looked away to avoid making an eye contact. I ran past him and he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Saving my dad! That's what!" I yelled as I continued to run. I put back the bone thing on my arm and flew up as fast as I could when I saw a flame bird getting ready to strike. I quickly took out my zanpaku-to as I yelled, "Takikanto! Help me!" As I put my zanpaku-to in front of me, I got in front of my dad and blocked the fire. I told my dad, "Dad, I remember how you told me about the day you save mom. Now, I'm doing the same for you because you gave me something none of these captains will ever recieve. Unconditional love from a parent." I broke the pole that held my dad and grabbed him before he fell. I put my zanpaku-to away and grabbed the side of the pole and held my dad with my other arm. Before I jumped to slide down the pole, I yelled, "Look out below!"

When we reached the ground, my dad yelled, "Go! I'll fight them off!"

I pushed him into Renji as I yelled back, "Go! I have more power and more energy! I could fight them with Takikanto by my side!" I turned back around as I yelled at the captains, "Leave Renji and my dad alone! You want to kill Ichigo Kurosaki, come after his daughter! In other words, come after ME!"

Renji took tight hold of my dad as he snapped, "You heard what your daughter said! As much as I hate being the one taking my friends and running, you're coming with me!"

I quickly guarded the way that Renji and my dad were running in blink of an eye as I snared at the captains and vice captains that started to move towards them, "No one goes near Renji! _Especially_ when he has my dad with him!"

I heard Rukia's voice call, "Ichisan! Let us through! Your father has been sentenced to death and that's final!"

When Rukia stepped up, I yelled, "I can't believe you, mom! You told me you had my back! You told me ever since Renji saved my neck after the gang and I broke in here to save dad! And dad saved your life years ago! Don't you remember you were accused of exact same thing? Have you already forgotten that he saved your life because he felt as though he didn't repay you? Well, I'm doing it for the same reason! I love him, mom! He's loved me _and_ gave me his powers just so I could protect my classmates!"

Frustrated, Rukia yelled back at me, "That's the past, Ichisan! Forget the past and move on! That's the best thing to do!"

"Fine! If you're going to be one of them, I guess I'll have to kill you as well along with the ones that tries to stop Renji protecting my dad!" I yelled. I cried, "Icy wind!" I pulled out my and swung it. The Soul Reapers in the front all got frozen up. All except Rukia.

She took out her zanpaku-to as she told me, "I guess you made your choice, then. I'm sorry, my child, but I have no choice but to fight you."

I hit the air by forcing my palm foward as I yelled, "Frozen motion!" When everyone froze in the motion they were in, I told Rukia, "Sorry, mom, but I can't let you kill your own husband."

Byakuya stepped up as he told me, "I'm impressed. You aren't a full Soul Reaper. Yet, you are able to cast a few spells. Let's see if you're any good with fighting."

He pulled out his zanpaku-to and he moved quickly to my backside without me noticing, but I swiftly turned and blocked his attack in time with my zanpaku-to. I told him, "Nice attack, but you might want to work on your speed and stregnth." I pushed him with all my stregnth. Once he landed on his back after flying back several feet, I added, "Just like _I_ have, Uncle Byakuya."

He got back up on his feet as he told me, "I'm surprised at how strong you are. The only thing I'm not surprised about is your spritual energy. You have most of your father's blood. I'll tell you that much."

I whispsered, "Bankai." When the huge beast appeared above me, Byakuya stopped dead as his eyes grew wide with fear. I quickly muttered, "Hypnotize him." When Byakuya couldn't pull himself away from the stare of my bankai, I ran at the speed that my dad had taught me and slashed him several times across his body. When he fell on the ground, blood streaming out, I told him, "I'm sorry I never got to know you, but my father and Renji is more important than getting to know you, uncle." When everyone who had been frozen in the second round came back around, I hit the ground with my zanpaku-to as I yelled, "_Juu Banaki Raikou Dageki Raishuu!_" Most of them avoided the lightning, but they were still touched by electricity that ran through the ground, causing them to go paralyzed. The electricity ran past me and I face Rukia one-on-one.

Rukia told me, "I can't believe you're doing this, Ichisan."

"Doing what?" I quickly responded. "Saving my father after he took care of me? What _I_ can't believe, mom, is that you would turn your back on someone who saved your life." I hit the ground as I yelled, "_Shikai Anda-Guraundo Karada Maisou!_" Rukia's body got seeped into the ground, almost as though she got pulled in, but the only thing that remained above the ground was her head. I walkd up to her and said, "I hope you don't take it too personally about my Underground Body Burial attack, mom. Once I get my dad, I'll come back for you depending on what dad wants to do."

As I walked off, I heard her say, "I'm sorry, Ichisan, but I have chosen my path already."

I stopped and responded, "So have I, but let's see which path dad has chosen." Before she could say anything more, I used the quick running technique and I was out looking for my dad and Renji.

As I kept running, I heard Uryu's voice yell, "Ganju! Chad! Orihime! Atrian!" I skidded and ended up stopping right in front of Uryu.

I quickly picked him up as I said, "Let's go! I'm on my way looking for my dad and Renji! We could ask Renji to sense other's spritual energy for us!"

I started to run again and Uryu asked me, "What happened that you're running this fast for? I thought that Ichigo was already executed!"

"Let's just say I just creamed my own mother and my own uncle in two completely different fights after I broke my dad free. Renji ran away with him after I told them to run and leave the Soul Reapers to me," I told him. "That's not the point. I need to find my dad first."

Suddenly, I saw Orihime running next to me. She smiled as she cried out, "Yay! I found you! I _thought_ it was you running by with Uryu!"

We skidded and I put Uryu down. I focused on all Atrian, Chad, Ganju and Renji at once and felt all their presence right by the gate entrance. I opened my eyes and Uryu asked, "What did you just do?"

"Just a little trick that my dad taught me that took me long time to do," I told him. "Let's go by the gate entrance where we met the giant. I sense their presence near by there."

We all started to run towards where the gate was, but it took us a lot of left and right turns along the way. The ones we bumped into when we got closer was Chad. Orihime called, "Chad!"

Chad quickly turned around and ran over when he spotted us. He took a close look at me as he asked, "What's with all the cuts that you got, Ichigo's kid?"

"I got into fights with my mom's brother and my mom herself," I told him. "And it involved zanpaku-to." I looked around as I quickly said, "I sense Renji, Ganju and Atrian around here. Ganju and Atrian should be together, though."

Orihime flew upward and called down to us few minutes later, "Ganju and Atrian is to our right and Renji is with some orange haired person straight ahead if you face the direction that we came from, Ichisan!"

As I started to run towards where Renji and dad were, Chad took a quick hold of me as he asked, "Is it wise to trust Renji, Ichigo's kid?"

"He's looking after my dad, Chad," I told him. "He also had my back this entire time. Why would I lose my faith in him _now_ when he's helped me so much?" When Chad let go of me, I smiled up at him as I said, "Thanks for understanding, Chad." With just that, I continued to run. When Renji came in view, I called to him as loud as I can, "Renji! Where's my dad?"

His head snapped towards me as he yelled, "Don't come any closer! I'll protect your dad! I promise you, Ichisan!"

When I got closer, I saw that there was a girl and a boy getting ready to fight Renji. The girl had black hair like most of the Soul Reapers and the boy had white hair just like Ichimaru. As I took out my zanpaku-to, I yelled at them, "Hey, punks! Why don't you play a fair game instead of givng advantage to yourselves?"

The girl fell on her knees as she started to tremble and sweat. She even looked terrified when she fell on her knees. The boy cried out, "Hinamori! Get up! You'll get hurt that way!"

I heard her gasp, "But this spiritual energy! It's too high! So much more higher than Captain Kurosaki's!"

I ordered them, "Take out your zanpaku-to. I won't fight an unarmed Soul Reaper." I turned slightly towards Renji as I asked him once more, "Where is my dad, Renji?"

He pointed towards one of the walls as he asked, "Why? How did you find me?"

As I blocked all the attacks that the white haired kid was sending, I told him, "Take him to Chad, Orihime and Uryu. As for Youriochi, I'm pretty sure she'll find us all soon." As Renji ran off with my dad, I kicked the kid in the face as I asked, "Respect your elders. By the looks of it, you're only about eight or nine years old."

"I am _not_ that young!" the boy snapped. "And I _will_ defeat you!"

"Captain Hitsugaya!" the girl named Hinamori gasped. "Don't do this!" As the boy attacked, the girl screamed with terror, "Toushirou! I've already lost my captain and I don't want to lose another person close to me! Don't fight her! She's more powerful than you are!"

I charged in as well and kicked his sword by doing 360-degree spin and gave a huge cut twice. First one was arm-to-arm while the second one was head-to-toe. He held himself up as best as he could as he asked me, "Who do you think you are?"

"I'm surprised that you didn't hear about Ichigo Kurosaki's daughter," I told him.

The boy - who was apprantly named Toushirou - responded, "I have, but all I heard was that she's not a Soul Reaper." I cracked a smile and soon burst into laughter. Out of the confusion, he asked, "What are you laughing about?"

"The Soul Reapers all haven't heard, have they?" I snared. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki's daughter! He's getting executed because he gave him his own powers at his free will! And guess what? He gave all of them on purpose, unlike Rukia Kuchiki! In other words, my mother meant to give him only some of her powers until some how, he drained her powerless! Now I have my dad's Soul Reaper powers, I'll crush you like a bug!"


	16. To Protect Beloved One 'Til Death

Chapter 16

Toushirou asked me, "Why is Renji helping you?"

"I never asked him to help me. He's just helping me at his own free will," I answered him. "Why are you going against your own comrad?"

Before he answered, he turned to Hinamori and told her, "Run. I don't want you to be here to see this. It was bad enough that Ichimaru tricked you years ago." Hinamori did as he told her, and when she was gone, Toushirou asked me, "What do you mean by that?"

"My dad. He's a captain of twelveth company," I responded. "I've heard of some of the captains, like captain of the tenth company, captain of the fourth company and captain of the eleventh company. Of course, Kenny maybe replaced, because he's a vice-captain of my dad's company, but Ichigo Kurosaki is a good comrad of yours, isn't he? He's always been a great guy to me when he raised me all by himself."

Toushirou asked, "Don't you have a mother?"

Shaking my head, I sternly told him, "No, because Rukia Kuchiki left me and my dad within weeks after I was born. She made her decision to go against my dad and I have my decision to go protect him, even if it means fighting my own mother. It's good thing that my dad raised me as a tomboy and to never have fear." When he looked uncertain about fighting at this point, I told him with a smirk, "You make the first move."

Orihime suddenly appeared as she cried out, "Ichisan-san! You have to come with me!"

"Why? Did something happen to the Ishidas, Ganju and Chad?" I asked with a startle.

"Yes," she said slowly. "But that's not it! Ichigo-san and Renji-san reached us, but Renji-san is trying to protect Ganju-san and the Ishidas! Chad-san is helping, pretty much, but his new powers aren't that strong!"

As I quickly put my zanpaku-to away, I snared at Toushirou, "I'm pushing this fight back! My friends and my dad always comes first!" I turned my back to him as I told Orihime, "Open the portal for me that leads to where they are, Orihime."

When Orihime did, I could have told that Toushirou wanted to say something but didn't. I walked quickly through the portal and ended up outside the crowd. I heard Byakuya's voice ask, "Who's spiritual energy is that? Which captain's, I mean."

I yelled, "It's not of a captain, but of a daughter of the captain of the twelveth company that you want to kill, Uncle Byakuya! And if you want to kill my father, you'd have to fight me first! You want to kill my friends, you'd have defeat me first! You want to kill all of them, YOU'LL HAVE TO KILL ME FIRST!"

Every single captains turned around and moved out of the way between me and Byakuya. He snapped, "How dare you yell at me when you're meerly a teenager!"

I looked up at him and snared, "And how dare you not protect you own sister years ago? And how dare you now not to protect your own brother-in-law who is also your comrad?" When Byakuya looked surprised, I yelled at everyone, "You all are captains and vice-captains here, are you not?"

Kenny stepped up as he said, "Ichisan, why are you doing this?"

I ignored him as I continued, "My dad's one of you and you're attacking him carelessly? He's a captain and was once a ryoka! When he was a ryoka, you were going to kill Rukia for giving her powers away to him! But that was then! This is now! He's become good friends to you all and how you try to treat him is as though he is one of the ryokas today!"

I heard my dad ask me, "Ichisan, why do you continue to come for me? I'm just becoming old. Even though I may stay young for rest of my life, I always knew I'd lose you when you died of your old age. I only wanted you to have a chance to live your life fully, so I requested for you and my friends to escape while I took my death."

I told him, "Then I'm taking my death as well if you die, dad." When he looked surprised, I yelled at the captains, "Bring it on! I left my fight with the Toushirou guy just to protect my friends and my dad! I'm ready to fight all of you!"

I saw Renji hand my dad over to Uryu as he said, "Take care of him while I fight with Ichisan, Ishida!"

When Renji ran over to me, one of the captains yelled, "Abarai-san! What are you thinking? Are you seriously going to fight on her side?"

Renji responded with a smirk, "I'm not giving up on Ichigo! Years ago, I swore to my soul that I would protect Rukia with all my life, and I did and so did Ichigo! Now, I swear to my soul that I'm going to protect Ichigo with all my soul, just like Ichisan! He's a good friend of mine and you all know he is because he's also been good friends to you all as well!"

Just before the fight began, I called over to Orihime, "Orihime, don't jump in to use the shield! Renji and I will take care of ourselves!" While saying this, one of the captains attacked me and I was luck enough that Renji had me covered. I told him, "You didn't really have to do that."

"But lucky I did, or you would have been killed," he told me and gave me a quick wink. For some reason, I started to blush but I quickly shrugged it off as I went on fighting with Renji back-to-back. When we have defeated at least half of the captains and the vice-captains after at least six hours have passed by, Renji asked, "You getting tired?"

"Nope! Just getting started!" I reponded and quickly covered Renji when he was getting attacked from the side that he didn't see. When Renji looked a little freaked out, I told him with a smile, "You're welcome, hot shot." When Toushirou stepped up, I smirked at him as I sneered, "Never thought you'd show up, _captain_!"

Renji turned slightly to me as he asked, "You sure that you can take him on?"

"I beat Kenny with one attack," I told him with a shrug. "You think that we girls are weaker than you men? Man! That's harsh, isn't it?"

Toushirou and I started to fight and in middle of our fight, he asked abruptly, "What made you ask me about me going against Ichigo?"

I grunted, "It's just I was trying to make you see it my way. I mean, not entire my way but I tried seeing how it would be being a captain of a company and having to see another captain executed, you know? Using just that, I was trying to make you see something that everyone here doesn't see. The only person who actually saw it the way I see it was a vice-captain. If a vice-captain could see a captain as his comrad and knows what he needs to do, why can't the others?" When I got close enough to grab his arm, I took my advantage and twisted it to behind his back and placed my zanpaku-to right by his throat as I asked, "Don't you think so, captain?" Before he could respond, I kicked him in his back with my knee in order to break his spine. When he dropped unconcious, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open, I yelled at the crowd of the remaining captains and vice-captains, "Who's next? I have more fighting moves up my sleeve that I've been taught by one of Ichigo Kurosaki's friend!"

When everyone had doubtful looks on their faces, Takikanto ordered me, "Just use shikai. There's a move called Cry Of Death. Only the Soul Reapers will be able to hear the loud screech of Bloody Mary and will be barely able to move, unless if they're far away or unless if the Soul Reaper is holding me. It'll work without a doubt."

As I nodded, I ordered Renji, "Renji, take my dad and the others far away. This will be something incredibly annoying and you will be unable to move. At least barely. So run for now."

"Ichisan," he started to argue with me.

"Run! Renji, trust me!" I assured him.

By the looks on his face, I could have told that he was having hard time trying to make the decision, but he ran over to my dad as he ordered my friends, "Let's go!"

When the captains started to run after them to catch them, I jumped in the front and raised my arm that held my zanpakuto. The second that they stopped I snapped, "Are you running after them just to stop them or are you all running of fear that you'll all lose to me?"

Kenny appeared as he asked, "What are you talking about, Ichisan?"

The corners of my lips curled up into a smile as I responded, "Kenny, what I am talking about is that I'm just getting started in this fight, but all they're simply doing is running after Renji and the others to stop them, almost as though they are afraid to face me like true captains and vice-captains! My dad always have taught me to never be afraid! How do you think that I'm actually able to summon my own zanpku-to's spirit and the other's as well? Because I'm not afraid and put my trust in everyone of them. I even put my trust in my enemies, because I want to make sure that they keep their end of the deal like I do with my own."

A bald guy and a long eyelash guy stepped up as the bald one said, "We may not be captains or vice-captains, but we'll both take you on at the same time."

I turned around as I told them sarcastically, "Aw! Now that's just simply being unfair, isn't it? Two against one?" As I brought down my zanpaku-to, tip down, I muttered, "_Shikai Anda-Guraundo Karada Maisou!_" When both of their bodies got pulled into the ground, I quickly shrugged as I told them, "And I also guess that both of you just made a quick assumption that my trust in Takikanto was just too weak, huh? And yet, there are a lot of things that everyone here doesn't know what Ichigo Kurosaki taught me as he raised me!"

Rukia stepped up and yelled, "Why are you doing this, Ichisan?"

"And why are you treating me like a little kid that I no longer am?" I yelled at her. "You promised that you'd have my back, but you broke it! When someone tells me that they're going to have my back, they're basically telling me that they'll be their for me always! And Renji promised me the same thing and he's actually doing what he promised! Don't you understand, mom? Dad raised me my entire life and you were never there to actually see me go to my first day of school! You were never there for me! But dad was! He was always there to help me go through all my struggles! He was always there to send me off to school and to see me come back! When I found out that he was going to get executed, I was scared! And you know what? That's when I actually realized that dad won't be there for me always! But you, you never even showed up when I was going through tough times! It was only dad and you can't even understand what he's going through! The only one who actually can understand is me! I love him more than anything and anyone! He made me see who I was and always helped me not to be afraid! The only thing he couldn't help me not to be afraid of was losing him! If I can't protect him now, then I'll never get over this fear!"

Rukia took out her zanpaku-to once more as she ordered everyone, "Back away. This is my daughter and I'll fight her until death."

Shocked, I asked, "Mom, what are you doing? That doesn't mean that I want to kill you. All I'm saying is that I can't believe you were never there for me!"

Rukia's eyes started to fill with tears as she yelled with frustration, "I love you, Ichisan, but we're going the different ways! I can't stand to see your father going through this misery! You know I can't!" She looked at my face as she practically whispered, "You can tell. I see it in your eyes." Just as I let my guards down, Rukia told me, "Ichisan, when you beat them all and if you still live, please tell your father that I love him. Tell him that I loved him since the second I protected him from that hollow that attacked his family."

Just as she attacked, I moved out of the as quickly as possible and grabbed her around her waist. After I slammed her down on the ground, I told her, "I'm sorry, mom. Although I chose my path to go against you, I can't kill you." As I got up I snared at the others, "You all disgust me! Out of all things, I never thought I would live to see the day where everyone goes against one of their own! Were his powers really stolen? Did you stop to ask yourselves that, you big baffoons?"

When someone finally stepped up, Rukia asked me, "What is it that you really wanted your entire life that you're going after your father for, Ichisan?"

"Dad was all I had," I told her, "and you know it. But what I really wanted my entire life was a mother that I could look up to. To say 'I love you' and to show all drawings that I drew when I was in kindergarten. But when I came home, the only people I could do that to were dad and my godfather, Chad. It really disappointed me and saddened me that I couldn't have a mother like every other kids. It always saddened me that dad couldn't really help me out with that problem because his mom died when he was a kindergartener, unlike me, whose mother disappeared shortly after my birth and to never show up again after that. Not even on my birthdays." As I turned around half way, I told her, "But when I turn sixteen, I expect to see you on my Sweet Sixteen birthday party that I'll have with my classmates, mom. Tatsuki will be surprised to see you as well."

The female that had stepped up had short black hair and eyes that were practically shrimp size. She snapped, "You going to talk or fight?"

I laughed as I snapped, "Why didn't you just attack while I was off guard? Would've given you the big advantage!" I yelled, "Bankai!" When the huge beast appeared, everyone gasped, even Rukia. I looked up and the beast has grown in size. I whispered to myself, "What does this mean?"

"It means that your spiritual energy has grown and your trust in me has expanded rapidly," Takikanto told me, almost as though she was eaves dropping on everything that had been said. "Since it seems as though your trust in me is strong enough, I'll tell you my bankai ability. It is little of everything. That's why you have been able to control earth, wind and ice so far. Slowly, I will reveal to you even the fire, water and all the power of all natures, even deadly ones. As for now, all you need to use the Cry Of Death."

I quickly told her, "But the thing is, Takikanto, there is a part of me that doesn't want to hurt my mom."

Takikanto ordered me furiously, "Just fling your zanpaku-to across! The ones in the front is most likely to be affected!"

I quickly ordered Rukia, "Cover your ears as hard as you could. You ain't gonna like what you're going to hear." When she did, I flung my arm with zanpaku-to as I screeched, "_Takai Nakigoe!_" When my arm was at my side, every Soul Reapers in front of me fell on their knees as they screamed with terror, almost as though their death was near. When I turned around to look at Rukia, I saw that she was restraining herself from screaming her head off, but I could have told that she could hear the screech as well. It wasn't long before Rukia had snapped out of it. When she looked up at me, I told her quickly, "If you still wish to kill me and my dad, fight me here and now while others are in distress. If you wish to let us leave unharmed, run as far away as possible. If you don't, I'll just have to throw you in front of me to make you hear the unbearable scream. Trust me, because I'm not afraid to do that to my own mother."

Rukia started to run, but stopped in middle of her tracks. She turned around as she told me, "You know, Ichisan, it's not worth running. I'll fight you instead." I hit the ground and freed everyone from the screeching sound.

I snapped, "What did you say? I couldn't hear because of all these people screaming their heads off like little babies."

"I said I'll fight you instead of running just to save myself," Rukia responded. "After all, I said that I was going to stick to having your father executed."

I turned around to face her as I snared, "I can't believe you would say that!"

Rukia looked surprised as she asked me, "What do you mean?"

"Mom, before we fight, I have to ask you one question," I told her. "Who was your first crush from what you can remember?"

Rukia started to blush as she told me, "He was a vice-captain of the company I was first part of. Vice-captain Shiba Kainen of thirteenth company."

I smirked as I said, "I've heard a lot about him from dad. He was the vice-captain that fought some sort of hollow, but his mind was taken over, so another Soul Reaper had to kill him." I was looking down when I said this, but I looked up as I yelled, "Good thing that dad did all he could to research on all the captains and the vice-captains to get to know who they were or are, because as it turns out, _you_ were the one who killed Vice-Captain Shiba!" With just that, I charged at her and started to attack her.

As Rukia did her best to block all my attacks, she yelled at me, "Why are you attacking me constantly, Ichisan?"

Every time our zanpaku-tos clashed, I gave her one excuse at a time by saying, "You killed a Shiba! You left Ganju and his sister feeling hurt! You left me after I was born! You want to kill my dad!" And before I striked again, I yelled at her, "And now, you want to kill me, as well, when I'm your one and only child!" I pointed my zanpaku-to right at her stomach and charged. When Rukia managed to put her zanpaku-to right at where I was going to strike her, it was still useless, because my zanpaku-to had broken hers in half and the blade went right into her stomach. She fell on her knees groaning and she grabbed her stomach in pain. I wiped my sword on a piece of cloth as I told her, "That's the pain I felt mentally and emotionally, but you get to feel in physically. Hurts, doesn't it, mom?" Before I left, I whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry I did that, but I did what I had to do in order to protect someone who protected me for years without a stop."

Rukia weakly smiled up at me and I saw blood trickling down her mouth. She gasped, "Thank you, Ichisan. You helped me change my path with just that one stab. Now run. Get to your father before all these captains and vice-captains decide to go after them."

I swung my zanpaku-to towards the captains and the vice-captains once more as I screeched, "_Takai Nakigoe!_" When they all fell screaming, I grabbed Rukia and a small Soul Reaper near by and started to run. When I stopped running, I put both of them down on the ground. When I took closer look at the kid that I grabbed, I saw that it was Karusaki. When Karusaki still seemed to be paralyzed, but not by the scream, I shook him as I snapped, "Karusaki! Get up! This ain't the time to be paralyzed!"

I heard Rukia mutter something and it wasn't long before Karusaki snapped out of the paralysis. He looked up at me and cried out with excitement, "Miss Kurosaki! You're alright!"

I quickly said, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can you just quickly heal up my mom? I want to make sure that she's going to survive before I leave to look for Renji, my dad and the others." As Karusaki got to work, I asked him, "What was the reason you couldn't move even after we were quite far away from my attack?"

Karusaki was focusing as much as he could as he told me, "It was your spiritual energy. So much more higher than we last met." It was about thirty minutes later when Karusaki broke the silence that has been going on by telling me, "Miss Kuchiki will be alright. She just needs to rest a little longer." Without warning, he cried out, "Hanatarou!"

I swiftly turned around and took out my zanpaku-to. I snapped at the boy with short black hair who looked shy, "Why are you here?"

Karusaki begged, "Miss Kurosaki! Please! He's the one that I couldn't remember when I was telling you about the Soul Reaper from the fourth company that helped Mr. Ichigo and Mr. Ganju! Please don't fight him!"

The guy named Hanatarou asked me in calm tone, "Were you the one who set Mr. Ichigo free, ma'am?"

I snapped in a protective way, "What if I say yes? You got a problem if I was the one who set my dad free and told Renji to run with him?"

For some reason, Hanatarou bowed to me as he told me tearfully, "Thank you so much, ma'am! He has been always good to me ever since the day I met him when he was a ryoka years ago! I didn't even want to see him get executed! Now that you came to save him, I am grateful for what you are doing!"

I put my zanpaku-to away as I asked, "If you want to meet Ichigo Kurosaki again, then I suggest that you come with me."

I heard Rukia ask me, "Ichisan, should I have the ward around you down? I mean, Hanatarou is weak even when Kenny is near, but your spiritual energy sky rockets that I'm not sure if he'll be able to take it."

I was about to tell her not to, but Hanatarou told her before I could say anything, "Put the ward down, Miss Kuchiki. I'll deal with her spiritual energy."

When Rukia did, I told Karusaki, "I'll come and get you when you are in deep trouble. Just call my name, Karusaki. And look after my mom for me. She may be a bad mother, but she sure knows how to keep her head straight when someone knocks some sense into her." I put Hanatarou over my shoulder as I told him, "And you're coming with me."

While I was running with Hanatarou, he cried out when we were at least a mile away, "Stop, ma'am! There's a easy way to spot Mr. Ichigo!" When I halted, he pointed to a building as he told me, "Outside of that building is a staircase attached to it and is the only building built like that in Soul Society! Just go up to the roof and look for Mr. Ichigo! That's the easiest way to see where he is heading for!"

I took his advice and saw Renji's bright red head moving around with the others towards the entrance at the east. Smiling, I told Hanatarou, "Hold on tight to my robe, because I just spotted Renji and the others!" I ran at my top speed and Hanatarou was screaming his head off with terror.

When I skidded to a stop in front of them, but my back facing the guys, Hanatarou cried out with joy, "Mr. Ganju! Mr. Ichigo! Long time no see!"

I put Hanatarou down and let him run over to Ganju and my dad. Renji ran over to me as I started to turn around and he cried out, "Thank goodness you're still alright, Ichisan!"

When he threw his arms around me, I gave him light pat on his arms as I asked the others, "You guys didn't run into any troubles, did you?"

Chad shook his head as he asked me, "We heard screams back where you were. What happened back there?"

"I just used Cry Of Death attack," I told him.

When I looked up at Renji, he told me in warning tone, "I suggest you watch your back, because I've been feeling Byakuya's low spiritual energy following you around."

Without warning, I felt his spiritual energy and I yelled at them, "Run! He's here!"

Byakuya jumped right in front of me and I pushed Renji away from me. Byakuya told Renji with disappointment, "I thought you'd be smarter than that and hand these ryokas over to the Soul Society, Abarai-san."

"Captain Kuchiki, did you really think I was going to let you execute Ichigo and kill his closest people when I wouldn't allow you to execute your sister?" Renji asked.

As I took out my zanpaku-to as I told Byakuya, "This time around, I want to see your bankai, Uncle Byakuya. I'm tired of defeating you so easily every time we fight." I didn't look at the others as I told them, "Run while you have the chance."

My dad weakly yelled at me, "Ichisan! You don't even know the power of his bankai! I have seen it and experienced it myself when I was your age! Don't do this!"

I looked at Ganju as I told him, "Ganju, I know you hate Soul Reapers, but can you look after my dad while I'm not around?"

He nodded and took my dad as he called to the others, "Let's go. The kid says she wants to fight one-on-one, then let her be."

My dad was struggling to get out of Ganju's grip and I saw that Renji and Hanatarou were having doubts about leaving me behind. I assured them, "Go. I'll be fine. Hanatarou, I could tell that you've been waiting for a long time to talk to Ganju and my dad again, so you have excuse to follow them. As for you, Renji, you're a vice-captain."

Hanatarou bowed as he said, "Thank you, ma'am! And I wish you the best of lucks fighting Captain Kuchiki's bankai!"

When Hanatarou left, Renji told me, "I'm not leaving. Instead, I'll fight him first."

Byakuya told him, "You made the wrong choice again, Abarai-san." Byakuya dropped his sword as he simply said, "Bankai." The surrounding became pitch black, but we were all still able to see each other. In the darkness, some sort of pillars appeared, but with no doors. Renji quickly covered me as best as he could when Byakuya said, "_Kireme Garasu Sohen_."

As Renji screamed in pain, his hair came out of his ponytail that he had tied back and his bandana had come lose. When he fell back, he was bleeding, but still alive. I heard him sneer, "Is that all you have, Captain Kuchiki?" Before Byakuya could do anything, Renji quickly said, "I know what your next move is going to be. That very move is moving behind me in blink of an eye and stabbing me on the back. You think I would forget that now? Never, especially after I studied all your moves up close and personal."

Just at Renji had predicted, Byakuya was behind Renji in blink of an eye. Before he striked his zanpaku-to into Renji's back, he told Renji, "But you still haven't managed to protect Kurosaki Ichisan fully, Abarai-san."

As Renji screamed with pain the second he was stabbed, I cried out with terror, "Renji! You can't die like this!" Renji soon passed out, bleeding all over his body, I yelled with tears filling my eyes, "You monster! Do you realize what you even did, Byakuya? He's a vice-captain and you have higher step than he does only by half step! And you are continuing to attack the Soul Reapers, even the ones in the same seat as you! Do you have no shame attacking Soul Reapers with no end?" I finally cried, "Bankai!"

When the beast appeared as usual, Byakuya told me, "Your bankai form has changed from last time we met, Kurosaki Ichisan."

I looked at my zanpaku-to and saw that he was five times bigger than its usual size. I sneered, "Yes, Byakuya. My trust in Takikanto has been growing rapidly while you haven't noticed the bond growing stronger! And this fight is for what you have done to hurt Renji, my dad and my friends, because I don't easily forgive the ones who hurt them!"

Suddenly our surrounding changed once more and this time, we were surrounded by a whole bunch of swords. Byakuya told me in rather sooting tone, "Don't worry. These swords will not strike you all at once. Surprisingly, you're the third Soul Reaper I have used this move on. Second person I ever used it on was your father. So let's see if your spritual energy and power is actually stronger than your father's, shall we not?"

Disgusted, I replied, "Be my guest to make the first move, Uncle Byakuya."

When he attacked, I didn't have the enough energy to move around quickly to protect myself. When he made a gash across my stomach, he warned me, "Your father didn't figure this out until we were so close to end of our fight, so I'll tell you this right now. I use this on Soul Reapers that I -"

"That you swear to kill with your own hands," I finished for him. "I know. My dad told me of all the fights he was in and all the victories he had. Even the losses. He told me when he beat you when you used this move on him, he was glad that he finally beat you because he never though he would see the day when you admitted defeat from a ryoka or their suppoters."

"Then I guess you must know that your speed slows down when this move is brought foward," he told me and threw the one he was holding to the side. He grabbed two more and started to attack. At the last second, I dropped my zanpaku-to and grabbed Byakuya's wrists. He cried out, "What are you doing? You're disarming yourself?"

"I may not fight unarmed people, but I've been taught by one of my dad's friends that it's not the weapon and the fighting skills of a fighter that matters when they fight," I informed him. "But the fighter who contains those abilities in themselves." The second I knew he was off guard when I was done speaking, I kicked him in the chest and in his face, soon jumping off of chest into the sky. When his move disappeared, I yelled, "And you took your guard away just because I told you a piece of information!"

When I landed behind Renji, I quickly picked him up and pushed him behind me by several feet. The second I turned around, I realized that Byakuya had my zanpaku-to and I didn't have time to react because he was towering right over me. He made a huge gash across my back and arms. As blood gashed out, I screamed with pain. I picked myself up and ran at my top speed, even though it was hard, and managed to get back my zanpaku-to from Byakuya when he couldn't see me any more due to the speed. Byakuya gasped, "How are you still able to move around like that when you have injuries?"

"They're are just minor injuries that could be mended," I replied. "I've also been taught that you shouldn't affected a lot by your minor injuries when you're fighting. Just forget and fight with all that you have."

"For a child, you talk too much."

"_Kaze Doragon Kireme_," I muttered as I swung my zapaku-to across. A wound appeared across Byakuya's chest and a good amount blood splattered outward. As he fell on the ground as he grabbed his chest, I told him, "And as an adult, you put your guard down too much."

He still managed to stand up, but he looked as though he didn't have enough energy to go on. He hissed, "You're just like your father and I see that your spiritual energy and your trust has become stronger between you and your zanpaku-to. I won't come between you and your father any more, so go what you want to do if you're that willing to save your father." As he walked away towards where the other captains were, Rukia had appeared. I saw them talk to each other, but I quickly ran over to Renji to make sure that he was still alive.

I picked up Renji's top half and let him lean on against me and I heard him quietly whisper, "Ichisan? Rukia? Ichigo?"

As I held him tight, I quickly said, "My dad's not here, Renji. Only me."

Rukia ran over and I saw that her eyes were filled with tears and terror. She cried out as she grabbed Renji's arms, "Renji! You can't die like this! You just can't die, man! How about that promise that we made after I came back years ago? We promised that we would fight back to back! You promised me that you would make sure that nothing happened to me! You even promised Ichigo! Renji! What about that promise you made with Ichigo? You promised him that you would give him a good fight before one of you died! I heard you promise him before he and I left for his world! I heard you, you jerk!"

I felt a hand on my shoulder and Atrian's voice asked, "You okay, Kurosaki?"

I picked Renji up and put him over my shoulder as I asked Rukia, "Where's Karusaki? I left him with you."

A new voice said from behind us, "What seems to be the problem here?" When we all turned around, a small male with black hair that looked mature said, "What a luck. I find every ryokas in one place." When he saw me holding Renji, he swung his zanpaku-to out and stared at me with wide eyes as he yelled, "Put Abarai-san down! He's not one of you!"

I lifeted my zanpaku-to off the ground and put it right by his neck. I asked him, "Shouldn't you be taking care of my Uncle Byakuya? After all, Captain Kuchiki is injured quite a lot."

Rukia screamed, "Ichisan! Put your zanpaku-to away! He's got more experience in fighting than you do! You hear?" When I turned my head towards her, she hissed, "Don't you dare fight him, Kurosaki Ichisan!"

The guy smiled a little as he said, "Oh! A Kurosaki! I've been wanting to see who Ichigo's kid was." He turned his back on me as he called, "Hanatarou! Karusaki!" When they appeared, the guy told them, "Heal Miss Kurosaki and Abarai-san right away."

Karusaki walked over to me when I put Renji down as he said, "We meet again, Miss Kurosaki! Now get on your stomach so I'll be able to mend your wounds."

There was a strange feeling in my chest as I felt as though I was being taken over. I grabbed my head and fell on my knees as something or someone inside me made me say, "Where do you think you're going? You look like a captain to me, you know! Aren't you going to fight me like a true Soul Reaper?"

I felt half of my face getting covered up and I heard Atrian cry, "Kurosaki!"

I touched the part of the face that was being covered up and felt a mask on there. I grabbed the part that was slowly covering rest of my face as I yelled, "Get off of me! I'm not fighting this guy and you know I don't want to fight! All I want is to get my dad and get out the second I know he won't be executed!"

"You know you want to kill all these Soul Reapers that is after your dad, so let me fight for you!" my other side yelled back.

I yelled at the others, "Quick! Please just stab me in the face that's covered with the mask! It's my hollow side! Please! Hurry!"

Rukia didn't hestitate for even a moment as she quickly stabbed my left cheek that has been fully covered. When she took her zanpaku-to out, the mask fell off as well and there was a deep cut left on my face and blood started to gush out. As she kneeled down next to me, she quickly ripped off the bottom of her Soul Reaper cloack and tried to stop the bleeding on my face. She asked as she laid a hand on my shoulder, "You alright? I'm sorry I had to stab you that hard."

I looked up at her and asked, "Couldn't you just have stabbed me on my right side? That's the side that has been doing most of the talking."

Laughing, Rukia hugged me and I gave a short scream of pain when some of her hair went into my cut. Rukia quickly withdrew herself, almost as though she was startled, and I felt my cuts on my back starting to heal. I looked to see who was doing this and saw that it was Karusaki. When he knelt down in front of me soon enough and started to work on my cut that was on my face, he told me, "As for your back, it might take at least five minutes to heal by itself now. In order for this scar to heal up as well as your back, you'll just have to leave the work up to me and relax."

When not even one minute passed I got up and told the others, "I'll be back in few minutes. I have better way of getting healed up and in matter of seconds." I started to run as fast as I could and I could have told that even Rukia was trying to keep up with my speed, but failed.

When I got to the cave like place where I was first taken in Soul Society, the only thing I did was wash my face off to get the blood off, but I felt my scar going away at the same time. Next thing I knew, I was pouring some water down my back, but it wasn't long before a farmiliar spritual energy had come into the room. When I turned around, Ganju, Orihime, Uryu, Chad and my dad were standing in the door way and I heard Ganju asking, "What kind of place _is_ this?"

My dad's voice weakly responded, "It's the place where I learned to use bankai in three days. But can you guys just look for a hot spring for me. That's the best way I could get my wounds healed up."

I heard footsteps coming closer but stopped after only about ten steps. Chad's voice asked, "Do you feel that high spiritual energy as well or is it just me?"

A smile came across my face as I asked, "Or is dad just terrible in teaching his kid how to cover up her spiritual energy?" Getting up, I added, "Because dad never taught me _how_ to keep in covered up well."

I took my dad from Ganju, whom both looked real surprised to see me, and helped him into the water as Orihime asked me, "When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago," I responded. "I left Byakuya in pretty bad shape but he left me a lot of cuts as well. Used my zanpaku-to to give me a bad wound on my face. Only came here to get washed up."

When my dad got out, he asked, "Where's Renji now? And Hanatarou?"

"Hanatarou should be finishing up healing Renji," I told him. "He tried to protect me from the first move that Byakuya used with his bankai that Renji got knocked out pretty badly. And Rukia's there as well with Karusaki." I turned to Orihime and quickly asked her, "Can you make a portal to get me to where you guys left me to fight Byakuya? I told them that I would be back as soon as I got healed up!"

My dad put his shirt back on as he asked, "Wait. Who has what powers?"

Chad made a body armor as he said, "Got more armors than I used to."

When he withdrew them, Orihime responded, "Flying at high speed and transportation are my new additions." She quickly made a portal and told us, "Let's go!"

When we all got through, I realized that my dad looked as good as new and looked as though he gained all his energy back as well. When Rukia saw my dad, she quickly looked away, almost as though she was trying to avoid eye contact, while the guy that appeared after the battle bowed as he said, "Captain Kurosaki."

Dad nodded as he responded, "Hello, who ever you are."

Atrian rolled his eyes and I heard him mutter, "I see where Ichisan gets that from."

I hugged my dad tightly as I said, "I'm not letting anyone kill you, dad."

My dad hugged me back as he whispered in my ear, "And I see that I have taught you quite well, then." He looked over at Renji and said, "Abarai! I see you're finally awake."

Renji's voice answered, "Captain Kurosaki. Nice to see you in good shape."

I let go of my dad and helped Renji up. My dad started to laugh as he quickly told Renji, "I've told you so many times not to call me captain. That seat doesn't belong to me any more. But it's nice to still have the respect from some Soul Reapers." He looked over at Rukia and I could have told that he wanted to say something but held it back.

I took my dad by his arm and dragged him away for several feet before I asked, "I could tell you want to say something to her, so why don't you just say whatever is on your mind?"

He smiled weakly at me as he told me, "It's nothing, Ichisan. Don't worry about me and your mother. It's just something from the past that I don't think I should bring up or mention to your mother. There are just some thing better left unsaid."

No one expected this when all the captains and vice-captains jumped out of nowhere and surrounded me and my dad. An old looking man demanded, "Kurosaki Ichigo! Come so we could kill you right now as your execution for allowing your powers to be stolen!"

When my dad started to do as he was told, I yelled at him, "Dad! No! This guy says that your powers were_ stolen_ so why aren't they just killing the so-called theif instead?" I turned to the old man as I told him, "You want to kill my friends, you'd have to fight me first! You want to kill my dad, you'd have to defeat me first! You want to kill all of them, KILL ME FIRST! I am this so-called thief! He gave his powers to me on purpose! If you call that being stolen, don't got after him!"

"Kurosaki Ichisan! Don't you dare do this!" my dad yelled. "He's an elder! He's my boss! What the law says goes and these Soul Reapers are trying to go by the laws set for them!"

"And I'm trying to go by the laws I set for myself!" I yelled back. "And the first law I set for myself is to never have anyone beloved to me get killed!"


	17. Closer To Official Decision

Chapter 17

Everyone around us looked shocked. At least almost all. The only one was the elder who ordered my dad to come foward who didn't look shocked. Instead, he looked impressed as my dad asked with unexpected tone, "What?"

"I said that the first law I have set for myself is to never have anyone beloved to me get killed," I responded. "You looked after me and took care of me and you're the only one I had to look up to. I may have been jealous of other kids for having a mother that they could look up to as well as their father, but whenever you were always there to support me, I knew that nothing mattered. And that was all because you loved me, dad, and you never stopped. And if you die and I know it's because I didn't try to stop your death while fighting for you, then I can never forgive myself for what I did. So, here I am, trying to protect you." I told the elder, "If you're going to kill my dad, fight me and defeat me first. When I say defeat me, I mean kill me."

The elder brought his arms to his side and ordered, "Don't attack the young lady. She have gained my respect when she is one of the ryokas."

When he turned around, we heard Toushirou's voice say, "But we have orders from Center 46! We must do as they say! After all, that's what all captains and vice-captains have to follow, is it not?"

"And is it not that they have put me in charge and that I am part of them?" he snapped back. "Retreat for now!" He looked at my dad as he said, "I'll see what I can do to make them change their minds just like they did for Rukia when we replaced most of them years ago."

When all the captains and vice-captains were gone, my dad's arms squeezed me tightly from behind and he whispered in tearful tone, "Thank you so much, Ichisan."

I turned around and gave a hug back as I told him, "I'm just glad that they didn't take you away from me, dad. I don't know what would've happened if I knew that I had no one to look up to any more once you're gone."

When I looked over my dad's shoulder, I noticed that the guy with black hair, Hanatarou and Karusaki were gone as everyone but Rukia came running over to us. Renji whispered something into my dad's ear and all he did was nod. He kissed me on the forehead as he said, "Don't let your guards down, Ichisan."

When my dad walked over to Rukia and was out of earshot, I asked Renji, "What was that all about? I mean with all the captains showing up?"

"Well, the only other way to kill a Soul Reaper who betrays the Soul Society is to kill them on the spot if one of the exection things are broken, even if it means having to hunt that Soul Reaper down," Renji explained.

Suddenly, from near my feet, I heard a farmiliar voice cry out, "Yay! I found you, my love!"

When I looked down, there was a freaky looking teddy beary hugging my leg. I kicked the teddy bear in the face as I screamed, "What the hell are you thinking, you stupid stuffed animal? Who the hell are you?"

"Ah! The kick from you is extra special since I haven't seen you for so long!" the teddy bear continued. When it saw that I was totally lost in confusion, he said, "It's me! Kon!"

I picked it up by its head as I sneered, "Get a life! I'm not your love!"

"Yes you are!" he protested.

I pointed to Orihime as I cried out, "Hey! Look! There's Orihime!"

Kon struggled to get out of my grip as he cried out, "Oh, Miss Inoue!"

I threw Kon towards where my dad and Rukia were as I called to them in a loud voice, "Look who's back, guys! It's Kon!"

When Kon started to drool all over Rukia, I tried hard not to crack a smile as Renji asked me in confused tone, "What was that all about?"

"That's Kon, a Soul Candy," I explained. "He basically drools all over girls."

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs' voice said, "Yes, and he's the only Soul Candy remaining."

"Urahara!" Renji gasped. "Captain! We never expected to see you here after you've been kicked out of your seat years ago!"

When my dad and Rukia came over while my dad held Kon in his hand, my dad asked, "Why are you here?"

"Ichigo, I've heard the news about the Research section coming back in twelveth company," Mr. Hats-And-Clogs told him with a smile.

"No! It can't be! I've worked so hard to get rid of that section ever since I became a captain!" was all my dad said to protest.

"Yes it is coming back, Kurosaki Ichigo," Mr. Hats-And-Clogs argued back with a huge smile. "And after all the hard work I've put into creating that section, it's finally coming back!"

I quickly snapped at him, "Too bad that the Center 46 might reconsider about killing my dad off, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs!"

"As true as that may be," he told me rather calmly, "but the only problem now is that he won't be able to accept the seat of captain of the twelveth company any more since he's no longer a Soul Reaper. He's lost all his powers completely and forever to you, Kurosaki Ichisan."

A woman with black hair and who looked stubborn appeared behind Mr. Hats-And-Clogs as she said, "So, I was correct ever since I was young, Ichigo! It _was_ you running off with Rukia in that long black cloak and a sword as long as you were tall whenever there seemed to be some kind of creature with a hole in its chest going around the town!"

"Karin! How did _you_ get into Soul Society? Only the Souls can get in!" my dad cried out with shock.

"This guy got me out of my body with some kind of weird red glove," she explained as she pointed at Mr. Hats-And-Clogs.

Before my dad said anything, I cried out, "I accuse Kon! He's the main suspect here, dad, and you know it!"

Rukia covered her eyes as she said, "Ichisan's got a point, Ichigo." When my dad looked a little freaked out when Rukia said that, she cried out, "What? Think about it! Seriously! Okay, think of it like this, Captain Kurosaki. He's a pervert and he'd do anything to get to me, right? So why _wouldn't_ he convince Urahara to get him here along with your sister?"

Before my dad said anything to anyone, he told Rukia, "What scares me more is when you call me captain. I told you that I'm no longer in charge of the twelveth company." He turned to Kon and started to strangle him as he yelled, "As for you, Kon, I told you to look _after_ my family! Not ruin their lives! What do you not understand, you stupid, suffed up bear?"

Kon screeched, "My stuffings! Stop, Ichigo! You're going to get all the stuffings out!"

I snatched Kon away as I quickly said, "Let's go! We don't have much time until the Center something decides whether dad's going to get executed or not for him handing his powers over to me! I mean, seriously! We don't have time to get the stuffings out of Kon! Maybe later!"

Kon hugged my arm as he said, "Thank you! At least I know who loves me!"

I handed him over to Ganju as I said, "Strangle him for me? I don't have time because I'd rather focus on the captains and vice-captains that I haven't fought yet."

Ganju stared at the bear for a short while, but threw it in the air, screaming, when Kon pointed at him and snapped, "You better let _go_ of me, ugly!"

My dad started to lead us to a building but stopped when some guards came running up to us. One of them asked, "You may not enter, ryokas!"

My dad took out his badge as he snapped, "The soon-not-to-be captain of twelveth company! Step aside for my friends and I need to speak to the Center 46!"

As the guards stepped aside, one on the left cried out, "Sorry, Captain Kurosaki, sir!"

My dad gave us slight look of hope as he said, "Let's go before they change their minds about letting _you_ guys in."

When we were in front of a huge group of people, almost as though it was set up as a court, Renji squeezed my shoulders as he whispered in my ear, "Don't worry. If you guys get into trouble, just know that I'm close by, ready to help." He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and told Rukia in loud voice, "Rukia! C'mon! We need to take our seats with other captains and vice-captains! Hurry now!"

Rukia quickly ran past me and whispered as quickly as possible, "Don't let your guards down, Ichisan. They could pounce on you like wild cats."

One of the Soul Reapers said, "Ichigo Kurosaki, Captain of the Twelveth Company! The elder has heard your defense from your daughter! He tells us that it was very convincing not to kill you but told us that it really wasn't his choice whether they should've killed you or not! So let us hear the reason that your daughter has given!"

I yelled up at them, "You want to kill my friends, you fight me! You want to kill my dad, you have to defeat me! But if you want to kill all the ones beloved to me, YOU HAVE TO KILL ME FIRST! Otherwise, forget it, because my dad means more than anything to me! Rukia Kuchiki wasn't there for me, but Ichigo Kurosaki was! I'll tell you all one thing! I'm proud to be his daughter and if anyone wants to kill him, they have to kill me first and the only reason I can give is because he raised me that way! And I bet you with all my life that I won't let go of my dad without a good fight! And when I say that, I mean I won't let you take his life without taking mine first while fighitng me! It's simple enough, isn't it? After all, I'm just a part Soul Reaper and mostly human and a student in my own world!"

They whispered for quite some time before one of them responded, "We'll let him live, but if we do, you have to let us do one thing to him."

"And that would be what?" Chad called up.

"Erase all his memories of ever having to be a Soul Reaper for rest of his life," they called back down and left us in shock, including Rukia and Renji. All I knew was that if dad's memories of ever being a Soul Reaper was erased, then that would have meant that he wouldn't remember who I was. If he didn't remember that, then that meant only one thing for me - I would have no one to look up to any more.


	18. Final Stand

Chapter 18

When I looked up at my dad, I saw that it didn't take him long to take in the shock as he bowed his head. He responded, "Do as you wish if you could actually do that."

As the council started to get up, I got in front of my dad as I told them in panic, "No! I'm not letting you take away dad's memories! Then what's going to happen to him? I mean, he's been a Soul Reaper ever since he was my age and if all that memories gets erased, then that will mean half of his life is gone in front of his eyes and he won't remember who he is at all! He won't even know what he did for life! What if he doesn't even remember me? His own daughter?" As I looked up at Renji and Rukia, I added, "And friends he made ever since he became a Soul Reaper? Doesn't friends matter?"

As Byakuya jumped down, I quickly blocked the attack as I heard Rukia's voice cry, "Byakuya! No! We were ordered to stay in our seats! _ONI-SAMA!_"

As I pushed him away and the others surrounded my dad in protective way, I yelled at him with fury, "You told me you won't interfere with what I will do in order for me to protect my dad, Uncle Byakuya! Why? Why are you breaking the promise?"

Rukia ran down to us and got in front of me with her arms wide open. She snapped, "Oni-sama! You come from an Elite family! I may only be adapted into yours, but you know very well yourself that you won't even allow it when a Soul Reaper breaks a rule! How do I know? Because that's what you tried to do to me! Kill me with your own hands when Ichigo helped me escape! From what I heard, you promised him that you wouldn't come after me because he beat you in a fight and that's exactly what you did! Keep your word! Now you're going to break a promise that you made with a teenager? Have you forgotten what it was to be like to be one?"

Byakuya yelled, "Well, do _you_ remember? We all have lived as adults, Rukia, and we've been living that way for centuries!"

"Ichisan is reminding me of the times when I used to be a teenager, oni-sama! Open your eyes and take your seat back with the others captains! _Now!_ I'm so much more younger than you are and it's now me who's taking the Elite family thing more seriously! Have you not noticed that, oni-sama?" Rukia yelled back.

When Byakuya looked as though he was about to explode, he turned back to the captains and snapped at me, "You got lucky enough that Rukia was more level headed than I was this time around, Kuchiki Ichisan!"

As Rukia and Byakuya took their seats, the first Soul Reaper who spoke told us, "In order

for the decision to be made, you'll have to wait quite some time." He called, "Guards!" When the two Soul Reapers who stopped us came in, the Soul Reaper ordered, "Take Kurosaki Ichigo into a cell in the center of the city while we decide his fate."

I grabbed my dad's arm with terror and he soothingly told me, "Ichisan, don't worry. I'll be okay. I promise."

As I buried my face in his arm, I asked, "How can you promise that? Things like that can never be promised and you know it."

I felt tears coming down my cheeks and I felt hands on my shoulder. I heard Renji's voice telling my dad, "Ichigo, I'll look after her while you're locked up for now. I promise nothing will happen to her."

I pushed him away as I cried out, "No! Get away from me, Renji! It's not the comfort I need! What I need is knowing that they won't kill my dad or erase his memory! What I need is that they will at least let him live as a normal human! Don't you understand that?"

As I grabbed tighter to my dad's arm, the more people tried to pry me off of him. Soon, my dad's voice comanded, "Stay away from my daughter!" When everyone did as he told them, my dad put a hand on my shoulder as he whispered softly, "Ichisan, please. Let Renji and my friends take care of you while I'm gone. If they kill me, I'm pretty sure that they have a reason. If they erase my memories, in back of my mind, I will always know that you are there for me to jog back my memories." As he hugged me tightly with one arm, he told me in a sweet voice, "And if they let me live with none of my memories erased and just to let me go as a normal human, I will always know that you had my back. Not because you were my daughter, but because you cared so much about what might happen to me." When my arms slowly slid off, my dad patted Renji's shoulder as he said, "Look after my little girl while I'm gone, dude."

As the guards took him away, Karin held my hand as she whispered to me, "Hang in there. He's tough and if I know him as well as I think I do as a sister, then I know that he'll hang in there for you."

We all went outside, but I stood faraway from the others, which was on the roof of the building where the meeting about my dad was held. Hours have passed by, but it seemed forever since the meeting has been going on. I jumped with a startle when I heard Renji's voice ask, "You okay?" When I turned around, Renji had worried look on his face.

Nodding, I quickly untied my hair and handed him my hair tie. I quietly said, "Here. Tie your hair up. You look better that way." His trembling hands took my hair tie and did as I told him. Turning back around, I asked him, "Did Rukia send you up here? Or the others?"

Shaking his head, he told me, "I just got worried about you."

As I bit my lips to stop the tears from forming, I told him in shakey tone, "It's just so unfair, Renji. My dad has to be punished for the crime that I feel as though I'm responsible for."

He snapped, "You know what? Your dad's not responsible!" When my head snapped towards him, he softly told me, "But it's not your fault either. They are just skipping to conclusions, Ichisan." He walked over to me and place his hand on my cheek. As his face got closer to mine, he whispered to me, "They're just making mistakes. They don't even know what they're saying and you know it."

When he was so close to kissing me, we heard Orihime's voice crying out from behind me, "Ichisan-san! Renji-san! They've made a choice! Go down to the room quickly!" When we jumped with surprise, Orihime's hands flew over to her mouth as she asked, "Did I interrupt something, guys? If I did, I'm sorry!"

I felt the blood rushing up to my face as it started to get hot. I quickly told her, "Thanks for notifying us, Orihime!" With just that, I ran off and I felt Renji's eyes looking right at me.

When I got down to the room, I saw my dad standing all by himself. The second he saw me enter the room, he ordered me, "Ichisan, stay where you are! Please!"

The leader of the group commanded, "Take the ryokas back to where they belong, including Kurosaki Ichigo! That's where his fate will be announced!"

I pushed myself through the crowd when they got up and started to leave. I yelled, "Dad! Don't leave me!"

I felt myself getting lifted up and being flown foward at quite a high speed. When I looked

down underneath me, I saw four little fairy things carrying me and all four of them looked like they were dressed in small animal outfit. When I reached my dad and got dropped off next to him, one of them shyly told me, "Our master Orihime wishes you best of luck, Miss Kurosaki!" They disappeared in blink of an eye.

My dad asked me, "Why are you up here with me, Ichisan?"

I quickly took hold of my dad's hand as I told him, "Because, dad, I'll always be here for you just like you always have been there for me."

He kissed me at my temple as he told me, "You've always been a sweet girl to me. You know that, Ichisan?"

We walked out the gate of the Soul Society and we stopped the second we saw Kukaku. The first thing she said to us was, "You guys managed to survive this entire time?"

"Shiba Kukaku?" my dad asked with surprise.

"Kurosaki Ichigo! Long time no see!" she responded with a laugh. "I see you're still alive and well! Where you all off to?"

I quickly told her, "I cut the execution bar off, so it's either the Soul Society kills him with their own zanpaku-to, erase all his memories that he had ever since he became a sub for Rukia or just let him live as a normal human with no harm done to him."

As she frowned, she asked me, "Where's Ganju, then? Is he still alive? Is he doing well? Tell me! He's the only sibling I have left!"

A portal opened to my left and Ganju, the Ishidas, Karin, Mr. Hats-And-Clogs, Chad and Orihime all fell out. Ganju looked up and cried out with a smile, "Kukaku!"

Mr. Hats-And-Clogs quickly made an entrance as he said, "Let's go! I need to get Ichigo's sister back into her body and I haven't got all day!"

When all the Soul Reapers had gone through, including my dad, I quickly motioned the others to go. I looked at Kukaku and Ganju as I asked them, "Want to come with us to my world for short while?"

Ganju and Kukaku shook their heads and Ganju nudged my chin as he told me, "You're as weird as your father, Ichisan. I'm pretty sure our paths will cross again some day. Until then, keep training and look after yourself."

I gave them a quick hug as I told them, "See you, guys. And please keep your fingers crossed for my dad." I quickly ran through the doorway that Mr. Hats-And-Clogs was holding opened for me.

When I got to the other side of the door, I realized that we were in the alleyway where Mr. Hats-And-Clogs' house was. One of the Soul Reapers took their zanpaku-to and drove it right through my dad's back the second I stepped out into the alley. My dad had that shocked look on his face before he fell foward and Renji took quick hold of me as he cried out, "Ichisan! No!"

I covered my face as I screamed with terror at the sight of my dad falling. All I could yell was, "Dad! Let go of me, Renji! That's my dad that they just stabbed! Let go of me! I have to help my dad! I have to help him!" For five minutes, I kicked and punched and screamed with no end, but Renji didn't let me go no matter how hard I hit him. But when those five minutes have passed, I just cried in his arms as he got on his knees when I fell on mine.

I heard my dad's voice ask, "What are you screaming so much about?" When I looked up, still sobbing, I saw my dad smiling down at me from ear-to-ear.

I shot up to my feet as I cried out, "Dad! But - !"

"They gave me my old life back. I'm now a normal human, but just like when I was your age. Able to see Soul Reapers, hollows and wholes," he told me. "And I still have my memories, Ichisan. I still remember all the things that have happened when I was a Soul Reaper." When I threw my arms around my dad's neck, he told Renji, "Thanks for grabbing onto her when they gave me my old life back, Vice-Captain Abarai. Really appreciate it."

When I let go of my dad, Rukia hit my dad from behind with a red glove and his soul came shooting out of his body. Rukia quickly told him, "You haven't said your farewells to the Shibas, Ichigo. After you are permitted to go back in there this time, you might not be able to go back there at all ever again, so let's go."

Rukia opened the door and my dad told rest of us, "Don't follow us. My farewells to the

Shiba family is personal."

Not too long after they had left, Youriochi came out from a different entrance as she snapped, "Oh, yeah! Leave me behind in the Soul Society! Very smart thing to do, Urahara! Leaving a woman behind!"

While the Center 46 were talking to the captains and vice-captains about something in a very secretive way, Karin walked over to me as she asked, "You alright, kid?"

Nodding, I asked her, "What was my dad like when he was around my age?"

She snorted as she told me, "I'm just one of the two little sisters that he has, so I'll give him in my perspective. He was given a curfew to come home at seven at night sharp, otherwise he would be in trouble. Of course, he knew this, so he would break it, but it seemed to me as though he was just doing it out of little fun and out of business in helping the ghosts that needed his help. Any ways, he was always competitive and always easy to pick fights with others. At the same time, he rarely noticed anyone in his class. The only people he ever noticed were these two idiots who were boys in his class along with Orihime and Chad. Of course, he didn't start noticing Ishida Uryu until one point during school year when he ran into those creatures with a hole in their chest. Next thing I know, he's acting weird from time to time. Don't know why, but he just wasn't acting himself."

I gulped as I told her, "That might have been because it was Kon. He's not used to frowning as long as dad frowns. Heard him time to time how much dad frowns and being way to hard frowning all the time."

"Either way, I'll tell you _one_ thing," she told me. "He's one of the best brothers anyone could ever ask for. I may have been mean to him every now and then, but I cared about him a lot, believe it or not."

That's when my dad and Rukia came back. Only a few captains and vice-captains noticed, but not all until my dad cried out, "What you all talking about? It's not about trying to kill my kid, is it?"

The elder shook his head as he came out of the crowd. Both my dad and I noticed that the elder was holding my dad's old badge and he handed it to me. He told me, "This was your father's Twelveth Company Captain badge. If you don't take it and accept the seat, we'll have to find a new captain and might have to bring the Research section back. But if you take the seat, the Center 46 will reconsider about bringing that section back into the department, depending on what you want to do with it."

I took a quick look at my dad as I told them, "But, what about my dad? I just can't leave him here all by himself!"

My dad quickly told me, "It's alright, Ichisan. You don't have to worry about me. After all, I have Chad to watch my back if I run into any trouble." He looked up at the elder as he said, "And I thought it was only official if she accepted the position in the Soul Society."

When the gates were opened again, a Soul Reaper from Center 46 - apparantly the leader - told my dad, "You're lucky that we're letting you through once more, Kurosaki Ichigo. But after this, it'll get harder for you to get in. Understood?"

My dad nodded as we all entered. Renji, my dad and I were the last three to enter, but the second we were in the Soul Society, Renji started to head off. When he was quite a distance away, my dad ran after him and talked to him in private before my dad came back. I asked him in quite tone, "Where's he going?"

"To his office," he whispered in rather hushed tone. "He says he doesn't want to be around if you turn the position down."

The elder offered the badge once more as he asked, "So? Will you accept the seat or decline it?"

I looked at my dad with doubtful look and he told me, "Don't look at me for an answer, Ichisan. This time, it's your own decision to make. You've shown me that you've grown up, so decide for yourself. I may hate it that my work of getting rid of the Research section will go to waste, but if you choose not to become the captain for that company, I'll accept your decision. And always remember whatever choice you make, you're always my daughter."

I thought for a few minutes before I told them, "I'll take the seat. But I don't want the

Research section back. That one is for my dad."

I smiled at him and he mouthed at me, "Thank you."

I took my badge and the Soul Reapers went back to where they all belonged. Kenny walked over to me and told me, "I've been promoted to take the seat of vice-captain of thirteenth company. Just to let you know, you could get some other Soul Reaper to be your vice-captain, because I took the offer."

When Kenny walked off, the first person that had come in my mind was Renji. It wasn't long before Rukia asked with a sly smile, "You want to get Renji to be your assitant, don't you?"

"No!" I blurted out and I felt my face starting to burn.

My dad smiled as he told me, "C'mon. I want to have a short talk with Renji, any way. Best if I take you to his office right now while at it."

We walked around for quite some time, but we reached a building, just above the entrance, it read in big, bold letters, "ELEVENTH COMPANY HEADQUATERS".

We climbed to the fourth floor and my dad lead me all the way to the furthest corner of the building before he knocked on the second to the last door on the right. We heard Renji's voice call in a sad tone, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Renji! Ichigo! They let me in for one last time, this time, for real! I just stopped by to have a little chat with you!" my dad responded as quickly as he could.

"Come on in, then," Renji called once more.

Before my dad went in, he put a hand on my shoulder as he whispered to me hurriedly, "Don't come in until I come back out and tell you to!" He didn't budge until I nodded, telling him that I understood. I sat outside the door for nearly an hour but I heard a lot of silences in their conversation. I heard my dad getting up as he told Renji, "It's been good knowing you, man. Come back to my world some time to visit." My dad came out and closed the door behind him before he whispered to me, "Go in. Renji's a wreck, I tell you. He was trying to hold back the tears whenever I mentioned your name. He's never like this. Trust me. I'll be out here, okay?"

Nodding, I told him, "Thanks, dad."

When I walked in, Renji was looking down at his feet and his hair was untied again. He weakly said, "I thought you already left, Ichigo. Shouldn't you be back in your own world by now?"

I sat on my knees on the ground and placed my hands on his knees. As I edged to sit in front of him, he looked up and looked surprised when he saw me instead. His eyes were all red and I wiped the tears off his face as I asked him, "What you crying about? Afraid that I wouldn't accept the twelveth company captain's seat?"

He looked at me tearfully as he asked, "Why are you still here?"

Getting up, I told him, "Fine. I'll leave and hand my captain badge back. I'll tell them that I've changed my mind about being the twelveth company captain."

As I started to walk out the door, he hugged me tightly from behind. He asked me, "Did you really accept the seat?"

"Yeah, and I came here to ask you if you were interested in moving up a company and be my assistant captain."

He turned me around to face him and told me, "I'd love to work with you." He leaned over and kissed me on the lips. It wasn't the way I had imagined my first kiss, but whether I liked it or not, it _was_ my first kiss and I was only glad that it was a with a person I really loved.

Epilogue

I continued to live in my own world, but went back to Soul Society when the meetings were called up. Renji came to live with me over at my world with me. Of course, after I finished high school and college, my dad kept on urging me to get married for some reason. Even though he was getting real old now, he knew that I had eternity to get married. But to tell the truth, I knew the real reason that he wanted me to get married and that reason was to hand his one and only daughter to someone else, that way, I wouldn't have to be given away by someone besides my dad.

Up side was that even after Renji and I got married when my dad was about sixty years

old and after he and I had two kids, Renji didn't leave. He learned from Rukia's mistakes and knew before hand what kind of mess a child could get into if they were raised in lies about their parents being dead when they were actually still alive. At least my dad got to see his grandchildren being brought to the world as half Soul Reapers and half normal humans. I guess my family's human blood will run through the generations. After all, who knows how strong my family's human blood is until you live to see the day when the human blood in my family dies from Renji and my side.


End file.
